Cardano’s ADA goes live for in-store payments at 137 SPAR locations in Switzerland
Cardano’s native token ADA is now accepted in physical retail after integration with Swiss digital-asset firm DFX.swiss, the Cardano Foundation announced. ADA has been added to Open Crypto Pay, DFX.swiss’s payments standard, enabling users to pay with ADA directly from their native wallets at checkout.
The rollout currently covers 137 SPAR stores in Switzerland. SPAR, a Netherlands-based multinational franchise, operates more than 350 branded outlets in Switzerland, though only those 137 locations support payments through DFX.swiss today.
DFX.swiss says Open Crypto Pay can cut transaction fees by roughly two-thirds compared with traditional card and payment providers—an efficiency the Cardano Foundation framed as delivering “not only technological innovation, but also clear economic value for retailers.” The platform also offers a direct bridge into traditional banking, letting customers buy or convert ADA directly into fiat.
Cyrill Thommen, CEO of DFX.swiss, highlighted the practical use case: “With Open Crypto Pay, we demonstrate that Cardano is not only technologically advanced, but also delivers real value in daily payments – for both consumers and merchants.”
The integration extends beyond point-of-sale. ADA has also been added to the urble savings app from Swiss fintech Brick Towers—part of a partnership DFX.swiss announced in January. Ralph Hofacker, co-CEO of Brick Towers, said the collaboration “makes it possible to implement saving and payments based on Cardano in a simple way” by combining regulated infrastructure with user-focused applications.
Market reaction has been mixed. While Bitcoin and Ethereum posted bullish moves over the past week, ADA fell by more than 6% during the same window, trading around $0.27. On-chain data suggests distribution pressure: analyst Ali Martinez noted on X that large holders reduced positions by roughly 230 million ADA over the past week—about $63 million at current prices—contributing to ADA’s muted price action.
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