On the 27th of January, in the year 2026, Paypal and the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) unveiled their findings, declaring that 39% of U.S. merchants have already opened their tills to cryptocurrency at the point of sale. Lo and behold, 84% of these merchants prophesy that such payments shall become as common as a courtier’s flattery within half a decade. This fervor, they say, is driven by the whims of customers and the swiftness of transactions. The study, conducted among merchants of all stripes and sizes, finds the largest enterprises (50%) leading this digital dance, with crypto accounting for 26% of their sales. Yet, 90% of merchants declare they would join this fray if only the setup were as simple as a credit card’s grace.