Key Takeaways:

• Europeans are increasingly using crypto cards to pay for groceries, restaurants, fuel, and other daily expenses.
• Grocery stores accounted for the largest share of OKX Card spending, making up 26% of all transactions in Europe.
• Clearer EU crypto rules and Mastercard’s support are helping make stablecoin payments easier to use in everyday life.

New transaction data from OKX, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, shows that Europeans are actively using crypto to pay for groceries, restaurant meals, and fuel rather than treating it purely as an investment asset.

The figures are based on completed OKX Card purchases across the European Economic Area (EEA) — a group of 30 European countries — between 28 January and 26 February 2026. The data covers the top 20 merchant categories ranked by transaction count, volume, or unique users.

The OKX Card lets users spend stablecoins anywhere Mastercard payments are accepted. Conversion to euros happens automatically at the point of sale, so merchants receive ordinary currency without needing to handle crypto directly.

Supermarkets, restaurants, and marketplaces lead the chart

Grocery stores and supermarkets ranked as the largest spending category, accounting for 26% of all OKX Card transactions in Europe.

Restaurants accounted for 12% of transactions, while online marketplaces made up 13%.

Taken together, food-related spending spanning groceries, restaurants, and fast food reached 44% of all European transactions during the study period.

The figures suggest that users are increasingly using stablecoin-linked cards for small and familiar everyday essentials rather than mainly using crypto for investing or trading.

Learn More: What Are Stablecoins, and How Do They Work?

How four countries show distinct habits

The broader European numbers also revealed clear differences in spending behavior between countries.

In France, bakery purchases made up 5% of OKX Card transactions, more than double the 2% EEA average, reflecting the country’s deeply embedded bakery and café culture.

Germany leaned heavily toward online shopping, with 30% of transactions occurring on internet marketplaces compared to the 13% EEA average.

The Netherlands recorded the highest grocery spending share at 37%, with nearly 20% of Dutch card volume going toward travel bookings and accommodation.

In Poland, 16% of transactions occurred at convenience stores, and roughly one in 10 Polish users paid for fuel with crypto, both above their respective EEA averages.

Related: OKX Enters Retail Payments, Challenging Banks with Stablecoin-Powered Mastercard

Regulation gives stablecoin payments a clearer path

The growth of crypto card spending in Europe is also being shaped by clearer rules. OKX operates as a regulated crypto-asset services provider under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. MiCA is the EU’s main rulebook that governs how crypto businesses must operate across the European Union. OKX currently holds authorization from Malta’s financial regulator.

This regulatory footing, along with OKX’s partnership with Mastercard to power card payments, has helped make stablecoin spending more widely accepted and easier to use for everyday purchases.

The OKX Card data gives one of the clearest early examples of how people in Europe are starting to use stablecoins for everyday purchases.