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The Cardano Foundation marks a groundbreaking milestone in cryptocurrency adoption: from today, the Cardano blockchain officially enters the world of retail payments.
Thanks to a strategic partnership with DFX.swiss, the cryptocurrency $ADA is now accepted as a payment method in as many as 137 SPAR supermarkets across Switzerland. This achievement transforms Cardano from a technological project into a tangible infrastructure of everyday life.
Summary
Open Crypto Pay: the new frontier of cryptocurrency payments
At the heart of this innovation is Open Crypto Pay, the payment standard developed by DFX.swiss. The integration of Cardano into the platform allows customers to pay directly with $ADA, using their native wallets, without going through centralized exchanges. The payment occurs in real-time, ensuring a smooth and immediate checkout experience.
One of the most revolutionary aspects concerns transaction costs: thanks to Open Crypto Pay, merchants can reduce fees by about two-thirds compared to traditional payment networks, making the adoption of cryptocurrency not only a technological choice but also economically advantageous.
This solution represents a dual innovation: on one hand, it simplifies the use of cryptocurrencies for consumers; on the other, it offers retailers a more efficient and less costly alternative compared to conventional payment systems.
DFX.swiss: bridge between the fiat world and the blockchain
The key to this new daily usability lies in the on- and off-ramp infrastructure developed by DFX.swiss. Users can purchase or convert $ADA directly into fiat currencies through their DFX.swiss account, without additional intermediaries.
This system creates a direct link between the traditional banking system and the Cardano ecosystem, facilitating the practical adoption of the blockchain even for those unfamiliar with the crypto world.
DFX.swiss positions itself as a true bridge between traditional and decentralized finance, offering services to both private and corporate clients. The platform supports wallets such as MetaMask, Rabby Wallet, WalletConnect, and hardware wallets from Ledger, Trezor, and BitBox, ensuring maximum compatibility and security in transactions. Payments and withdrawals are available in various currencies, through common interfaces like SEPA and SWIFT.
urble: digital savings and integrated payments
The technical infrastructure of DFX.swiss has also been adopted by Brick Towers, a Swiss fintech that launched urble, a next-generation app for digital savings. urble targets investors who want to use Cardano ($ADA) for long-term savings goals, offering the ability to create personalized savings plans for children, partners, or godchildren.
Through integration with DFX.swiss and the direct payment function in $ADA, urble creates a closed ecosystem that efficiently connects traditional fiat savings with the world of decentralized finance. This approach makes cryptocurrencies tangible tools for daily asset management, surpassing the purely speculative logic.
A Shared Vision: Blockchain for Everyone
According to Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, “we are witnessing the beginning of a fundamental shift in how value moves within society. When blockchain becomes an invisible infrastructure—when paying with $ADA is as natural as using a card—we have surpassed the experimental phase and entered a true financial transformation.”
Cyrill Thommen, CEO of DFX.swiss, also emphasizes the importance of bringing blockchain-based financial solutions out of the enthusiasts’ niche and into everyday life: “With Open Crypto Pay, we demonstrate that Cardano is not only technologically advanced but also provides real value in everyday payments, both for consumers and merchants.”
Ralph Hofacker, Co-CEO of Brick Towers, adds: “Our goal with urble is to transform digital assets from speculative tools to everyday use instruments. The combination of regulated infrastructure and user-centric applications makes it possible to save and pay with Cardano easily.”
A Strong Signal for Mass Adoption of Cryptocurrencies
The integration of Cardano into Open Crypto Pay, combined with the collaboration between DFX.swiss, Brick Towers, and the Cardano Foundation, represents a powerful signal towards the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies. The fact that this revolution is happening right at the supermarket checkout, a symbolic place of daily life, demonstrates how blockchain is ready to become an integral part of the consumption habits of millions of people.
Cardano Foundation: public digital infrastructure
The Cardano Foundation is an independent non-profit organization based in Switzerland, dedicated to promoting Cardano as a public digital infrastructure. The foundation develops tools, strengthens operational resilience, and drives the adoption of real-world use cases and robust governance.
DFX.swiss: crypto services for individuals and businesses
DFX AG, based in Zug, provides services in the cryptocurrency sector, positioning itself as a bridge between the traditional banking system and the crypto ecosystem. The open-source platform enables direct transactions to and from self-hosted wallets, supporting a wide range of wallets and offering multi-currency payments.
Brick Towers: fintech for decentralized savings
Founded in 2023, Brick Towers bridges decentralized finance with traditional institutions, offering native yield strategies and secure, compliant platforms for on-chain capital management. urble, their flagship app, is designed for personalized and connected savings.
The arrival of Cardano in Swiss supermarkets marks the beginning of a new era, where blockchain and cryptocurrencies become tools accessible to everyone, ready to revolutionize the way we think about and use money every day.