Paying with Bitcoin — The State of Payments

As of August 2026, bitcoin is still used only narrowly as an everyday means of payment. BTC Map lists 29,308 places worldwide (August 15, 2026) and 74 in Japan (compiled August 10, 2026), while Square has enabled bitcoin payments by default at eligible U.S. locations — and states the rollout is expected to reach all eligible sellers during 2026 — so the direction is not settled in one way. This page lays out how a payment is actually settled, how on-chain and Lightning divide the work, where the world and Japan stand, what options exist for merchants, and what friction holds adoption back — recommending no operator and predicting no price.