In a groundbreaking move for France, Talence, a suburb of Bordeaux, has become the first municipality in the country where local businesses accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. As of this summer, 18 stores in Talence now offer the option to pay with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. This payment method is made possible by an app developed by the French fintech startup Lyzi. The system simplifies transactions by allowing customers to pay directly from their crypto wallets, like Binance or Crypto.com, via a QR code scan, without the need to convert digital currencies into cash. Merchants instantly receive the equivalent in euros, eliminating any volatility risk and costs for the retailers.
The initiative, supported by the Talence economic development agency, aims to attract younger customers, a demographic that increasingly holds crypto assets. With 12% of French citizens reportedly owning cryptocurrency, Talence is positioning itself as a forward-thinking hub, catering not only to local crypto users but also to foreign tourists. Lyzi, which emerged from a merger of Fidly and EasyWallet in 2022, is testing this service in Talence as part of its broader strategy to integrate Web3 solutions into the real economy. Now, visitors and residents can pay for anything from a cup of coffee to a bottle of wine using cryptocurrency—a first for France’s suburban retail landscape.
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