TLDR
- ADA is now accepted at 137 Spar stores in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- DFX Swiss uses Open Crypto Pay to process ADA payments in real time.
- Merchants receive Swiss francs even when customers pay with ADA.
- Open Crypto Pay already supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, USDT, and DAI.
Cardano has entered a wider retail payments network in Switzerland. ADA can now be used at 137 Spar stores across Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein. The rollout comes through a partnership with Swiss fintech firm DFX.swiss.
The integration uses the Open Crypto Pay standard. This system lets shoppers pay with ADA by scanning a QR code at checkout. The move places Cardano in a live retail setting that already supports several digital assets.
ADA payments reach Spar checkout counters
Cardano and DFX Swiss have added ADA to the payment options at selected Spar supermarkets. Customers can complete purchases with a compatible Cardano wallet. The payment is confirmed in real time at the point of sale.
DFX.swiss built the Open Crypto Pay standard used for the rollout. The system was already active in Swiss Spar stores before ADA was added. Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, USDT, and DAI were already supported on the network.
The current rollout covers 137 stores in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Open Crypto Pay data shows some locations are not yet active. Stores in Geneva, Bern, and Davos are among those not yet connected.
The live locations represent part of Spar’s wider footprint in Switzerland. The Cardano Foundation has not shared transaction figures since the service began. That leaves the early level of customer use unknown for now.
DFX Swiss system settles payments in Swiss francs
The payment process is designed to be simple for shoppers and stores. Customers scan a QR code and approve the payment in their wallet. The transaction is then processed without routing through a centralized exchange.
Merchants do not receive cryptocurrency at the end of the sale. Instead, they receive Swiss francs even when the customer pays in ADA. That setup may reduce some operational barriers for stores using crypto payment tools.
DFX.swiss said the Open Crypto Pay system lowers merchant transaction costs. The firm said costs can fall by about two-thirds compared with traditional card payments. The company has presented that model as one reason for merchant adoption.
Frederik Gregaard, chief executive of the Cardano Foundation, described the move as part of a wider change in payments. He said it marks the “beginning of a fundamental shift in how value moves through society.” He also said paying with Cardano could become “as natural as paying with a card.”
Switzerland remains active in crypto payments
The Spar rollout arrives as Switzerland continues to build a reputation for crypto use. Lugano has been one of the country’s most visible crypto centers. As of December 2025, the city counted around 350 businesses that accepted Bitcoin.
This week, Tether and the city of Lugano committed 5 million Swiss francs to the next phase of the Plan B forum. The program runs from 2026 to 2030. It aims to support Lugano’s position in digital asset infrastructure.
At the national level, the picture remains mixed. Switzerland has supported innovation in crypto services, but the Swiss National Bank has stayed cautious. That stance has remained visible in public comments from senior officials.
In April 2025, Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel rejected calls to add Bitcoin to reserves. He said cryptocurrency does not meet reserve needs because of volatility and market liquidity. Against that backdrop, the Cardano and DFX Swiss rollout shows continued growth in retail crypto payments, even as central bank policy remains careful.
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