Is retail ready for a world where crypto is just another way to pay?

Not long ago, the idea of walking into a store and paying for a pair of jeans with Bitcoin — or any cryptocurrency — would have sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie. But what once felt futuristic is slowly edging toward everyday reality.

For retailers, the conversation has shifted. It’s no longer about if crypto payments will matter, but when they’ll need to prepare for them. Innovation in payments, shifting regulations and growing consumer familiarity are all pushing the industry forward. Still, the “when” remains unclear. Even though about 65 million U.S. adults hold cryptocurrency, very few are actually using it to buy things. Today, the retailers experimenting with crypto — including some well-known chains — may be doing it more for brand perception than for transaction volume.

But that doesn’t mean crypto is just a marketing gimmick. Flexibility in how customers pay has become a core part of retail strategy. More than half of major global retailers now consider support for crypto and stablecoins when choosing payment partners, according to research from ACI Worldwide.

Governments also are showing increasing interest. For example, New York City established a Municipal Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain in October, signaling growing public-sector investment in blockchain innovation. As regulation becomes clearer, more businesses are likely to follow.

“Regulatory certainty encourages institutional participation and the development of enterprise-grade tools that retailers can rely on,” said Sudip Mazumder, SVP and Retail Industry Lead for North America at Publicis Sapient. “A unified framework can also ease state-by-state compliance requirements, making crypto integration more attractive for national retailers.”

Bealls’ big move into crypto payments

One of the clearest signs of this shift came in October, when Bealls — a 110-year-old retailer with more than 660 stores — announced that it now accepts over 99 cryptocurrencies in-store, thanks to a partnership with Flexa. Payments settle instantly in U.S. dollars, so Bealls faces no crypto volatility risk, and the system integrates directly into its existing point-of-sale hardware.

Why take the leap now? Bealls Chairman and CEO Matt Beall said the timing finally made sense.

“The technology, infrastructure and consumer readiness finally aligned,” he told Retail TouchPoints. “Digital wallets are becoming the norm. Integrating crypto lets us stay agile while giving customers more choice and faster checkout. It fits our long-term strategy of blending innovation with everyday retail simplicity.”

Crypto acceptance is just one part of Bealls’ broader interest in blockchain. The company also sees potential applications in areas like digital receipts and identity verification.

“Blockchain-based payments are redefining trust and efficiency,” Beall said. “Over time, we’ll see blockchain integrated into everything from receipts to customer identity, creating a more connected retail ecosystem.”

Bealls is not alone. Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., for example, has been exploring tokenization for fundraising, loyalty programs and franchise agreements.

And Beall believes more retailers should be exploring emerging technologies now — not waiting for perfect clarity. “This isn’t speculative,” he said. “It’s grounded in customer choice and operational readiness. As more chains recognize the speed, cost and fraud-prevention benefits of blockchain payments, adoption will grow.”

Crypto adoption: promising but not yet seamless

The involvement of a major retailer like Bealls suggests that crypto payments are evolving from experimentation to real-world implementation. Lower fees, instant settlement, fewer chargebacks and simpler cross-border payments all offer compelling advantages.

But challenges remain. Even though crypto ownership is widespread, usage for purchases is still small. Right now, adding crypto tends to be more about future-proofing and brand differentiation than boosting revenue.

The Bealls–Flexa partnership aims to change that dynamic. Flexa allows customers to pay with crypto just as easily as using a card, with no new hardware required.

“Building a nationwide crypto payments network wasn’t easy,” said Flexa CEO Danny McCabe. “We took a compliance-first approach — registering with FinCEN and securing money transmitter licenses nationwide — so we can operate with full authorization.”

Even so, crypto isn’t “plug and play” yet. Retailers still need answers to practical questions:
 • How many customers will actually use crypto?
 • How complicated will accounting and refunds be?
 • How will regulatory changes affect operations?

Still, ignoring crypto altogether could be a short-sighted move. Stablecoins are gaining momentum, acquirers are adding support, and providers like Flexa are lowering the technical hurdles.

How close is crypto to going mainstream?

Crypto already plays a major role in areas like remittances and cross-border commerce. Retail adoption may follow as asset-backed digital currencies become more accessible, says Jai Bifulco, Chief Commercial Officer at Kinesis Money.

But analysts still disagree about how fast crypto will take hold in retail.

“Crypto has come a long way, and with more institutional backing, adoption will grow,” said ecommerce consultant Greg Zakowicz. “But it’s still fragmented — different apps, limited coin acceptance and unclear ROI for retailers’ slow things down.”

Neil Saunders of GlobalData Retail is also cautious: “Crypto isn’t mainstream. It’s still niche. While interest and acceptance are growing, transactions remain a small fraction of retail sales. I don’t see that changing quickly.”

Major retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Kroger tend to view crypto as both a serious innovation and a branding opportunity.

“It’s attractive to younger, tech-savvy shoppers,” said Mazumder. “While crypto offers operational benefits, adoption levels remain low — so its marketing value is currently greater than its transactional value.”

Retail’s next chapter: crypto readiness

The conversation around crypto in retail is shifting away from speculation and toward long-term infrastructure strategy. With retailers like Bealls accepting crypto at scale, cities building digital-asset offices and acquiring partners adjusting their criteria, the direction is clear.

Forward-looking retailers are treating crypto readiness as an investment — running pilot programs, testing demand and building internal expertise while keeping risk and compliance top of mind.

Mainstream usage may still be a way off, but early movers will have the advantage when consumer expectations shift. As blockchain-based payments evolve, transaction systems may move to tokenized value, enabling instant settlement and turning checkout into a hub for wallets, loyalty, global payments and personalized engagement.

In other words: this isn’t the full rollout phase yet — it’s the preparation phase. And the retailers preparing now will be the ones ready to scale when crypto payments finally go mainstream.