Where can you spend cryptocurrency?

You can spend cryptocurrency in three main ways: at merchants that accept crypto directly through a checkout, through payment services that convert it for the seller, and with a crypto-linked card that works wherever regular cards are taken. In most cases the seller ends up receiving dollars or another regular currency, even when you pay in crypto.

Where can I spend bitcoin and other crypto online?

Online is where crypto payments are most common. In July 2025, PayPal launched a "Pay with Crypto" option that lets any US business using its online checkout accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ether. The buyer connects a crypto wallet, and PayPal sells the crypto and pays the merchant in US dollars.

In June 2025, Shopify began offering USDC stablecoin payments to merchants in early access, built with Coinbase and Stripe on the Base network. Shoppers can pay from many crypto wallets, and merchants receive local currency by default or can choose to keep USDC. How businesses set this up is covered in how businesses accept crypto payments.

Can you pay with crypto in physical stores?

Some shops accept crypto directly, often through a QR code at the register. Some in-person bitcoin payments run over the Lightning Network, a faster layer built on top of bitcoin.

More commonly, people use a crypto debit card. The card provider converts crypto or stablecoins when you pay, and the shop sees an ordinary card transaction. Visa reported more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across over 50 countries in 2025. The guide on how crypto cards work explains the details.

Is crypto accepted as money anywhere?

Crypto is not the official currency of any major economy. El Salvador gave bitcoin legal tender status, but under reforms tied to an IMF program, accepting bitcoin became optional for private businesses and taxes are paid only in US dollars, according to a February 2025 IMF release. The broader question is covered in is cryptocurrency real money.

Is spending crypto taxable?

In the US, generally yes. The IRS says that using crypto held as a capital asset to pay for goods or services is an exchange that creates a capital gain or loss. The gain or loss is the value of what you bought minus what you originally paid for the crypto. That means a small coffee bought with bitcoin can be a reportable sale. Spending a dollar stablecoin that has held its peg usually produces little or no gain.

Rules differ by country and change often. Check the tax authority or a qualified professional for your own situation.