Crypto payments have changed since Bitcoin’s first real-world purchase – the famous 10,000 BTC pizza in 2010. For years, spending digital assets meant:
2010-2015: Manual peer-to-peer transfers that need technical know-how 2016-2018: Online specialty merchants catering to crypto enthusiasts 2019-2021: Limited big-brand adoption with custom implementations 2022-2023: Prepaid crypto cards that convert to fiat before spending
Throughout this change, physical retail remained largely untouched. The few stores accepting crypto typically used cobbled-together solutions. This includes a separate tablet running a crypto app, paper wallet QR codes taped to counters, or complex manual verification processes.
The brings to physical retail is important. Previous systems worked with just 5-10 wallets and forced customers to download new apps just to make purchases. Now, the most popular wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Coinbase Wallet all connect directly to the checkout terminal.
The biggest hurdle was price volatility, which has kept merchants away from crypto payments until now. SpacePay’s instant conversion means store owners receive the exact dollar amount of each sale. This is regardless of market movements during or after the transaction.
