The Spar supermarket implemented Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network, with the store’s transactions being live on BTC Map, a community-supported project including stores that accept these payments, DFX Swiss, a crypto-to-fiat payment solution company. According to a LinkedIn post by DFX Swiss, the Spar location is among the first supermarkets in Switzerland where individuals can pay directly at the checkout using Bitcoin through the company’s Open Crypto Pay solution, an open P2P standard for in-person crypto payments.
Furthermore, shoppers can pay with Bitcoin by scanning a QR code, in turn benefiting from a simplified and optimised customer experience. By implementing this method, Spar aimed to mitigate friction and difficult user experiences, which are the most common obstacles in mainstream blockchain adoption.
Switzerland was among the first jurisdictions in Europe to introduce initiatives for crypto adoption, and the region is regarded as more crypto-friendly. For example, in 2023, Lugano, a city in Switzerland, adopted Bitcoin and Tether USDT payments for municipal fees, placing itself as one of the first city administrations to take these actions. At the time of writing, as detailed by BTC Map data, there were nearly 1,013 stores and businesses accepting Bitcoin payments in the region, showcasing the growing implementation of this payment method.
Moreover, Switzerland also proposed in December 2024 to include Bitcoin, in addition to gold, in its national reserves, as the region sought to improve financial stability. The region required a minimum of 100,000 signatures by mid-2025 for a public referendum to amend federal law. The initiative fell in line with worldwide trends, as more countries were looking into adding Bitcoin as an asset in their financial systems.
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