Square, the payment processing company owned by Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc., has launched a new feature allowing US businesses to accept Bitcoin at checkout points and hold digital assets within an integrated wallet. This move could accelerate Bitcoin adoption as a medium of exchange for various transactions. 2026 is when this service will be launched, Square announced on Wednesday. 4 million merchants currently use their payment platform. The new offering allows for automatic conversion of sales into Bitcoin (BTC). Square waives processing fees through 2026, with a 1% fee set to take effect in January 2027. Merchants can easily access and manage their Bitcoin holdings within their Square dashboard, allowing them to buy, sell, or withdraw the asset as needed. The service is available only to US businesses, excluding New York State, and is not open to international merchants. This expansion could be a significant step toward broader crypto adoption as more than 4 million merchants use Square’s payment platform. Square’s decision aligns with Block Inc.’s broader crypto strategy and CEO Jack Dorsey’s long-held support for Bitcoin. Previously, Dorsey integrated Bitcoin trading and payments into Cash App, a peer-to-peer payments service, and has worked on developing open-source Bitcoin mining systems to reduce costs in the energy-intensive mining sector. Block Inc. currently holds 8,692 BTC in its balance sheet, positioning it as the 13th-largest public Bitcoin holder worldwide. This move comes after the US regulatory environment towards cryptocurrencies has become more favorable and the growing recognition of digital assets as a legitimate asset class. The adoption of crypto payments is back on the agenda. Square cited research from eMarketer indicating that US crypto payment usage is projected to grow by 82% between 2024 and 2026, reflecting renewed momentum in the sector. This surge coincides with a YouGov survey revealing that consumers in both the US and UK are increasingly viewing payments as a leading use case for cryptocurrency. The study also highlights the potential of AI to accelerate adoption. As AI tools integrate financial and transactional capabilities, crypto payments may become more accessible through AI-powered agents. Google’s newly announced Agent Payments Protocol aims to facilitate this shift by positioning crypto as a key component of the AI-driven economy. Meanwhile, PayPal is expanding its peer-to-peer cryptocurrency offerings allowing users to send and receive payments using Bitcoin, Ethereum, and its US dollar-pegged stablecoin PYUSD (PYUSD).