2025 marked the year of strong institutional adoption for Bitcoin and crypto, and 2026 is poised to be the year that brings increasing adoption for retail.
CNBC reported that Walmart will start accepting Bitcoin and crypto in-store payments via its banking app, OnePay.
Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 19 other countries. Over 150 million Americans use Walmart in person or online weekly.
OnePay was founded by Walmart and venture firm Ribbit Capital in 2021, and it sees crypto as a core offering while building its “everything app” for digital finance.
On January 5, Bitcoin reclaimed $93,000, amidst surging optimism in the market and rising adoption. The general crypto market is up by more than 1.1% today, with $3.15 trillion in market cap.
Walmart to accept BTC and crypto in-store payments via OnePay
CNBC reported on January 4 that Walmart starts accepting BTC and crypto in-store payments via its banking app OnePay. This marks a strong signal that retail adoption is progressing.
Walmart rolls out support for crypto payments via its OnePay app, which combines mobile banking, debit rewards, and a digital wallet in a single app.
With OnePay, users can buy, sell, hold, and convert BTC and crypto, and use the proceeds at checkout by converting them into fiat at the point of payment.
This integration allows customers to manage crypto within the OnePay wallet and use fiat funds when shopping online and in-store. In other words, the move ties crypto balances to real-world retail usage.
Previously, in October 2025, CNBC announced that Walmart-backed fintech OnePay would bring crypto to the banking app.
OnePay starts to offer customers access to BTC and crypto with the help of the Zerohash startup.
What this means
Walmart’s move to allow in-store crypto payments via the OnePay app marks the following:
- Rising mainstream adoption – Walmart’s customer ecosystem reaches over 150 million people weekly
- Retail integration – Walmart’s integration of crypto into the OnePay retail banking app highlights a convergence of retail and finance
- Increased competition – Walmart becomes a competitor to other major apps that already provide crypto support, like PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App
The important announcement comes amidst rising optimism in the crypto markets.
Bitcoin reclaimed $93,000 on January 5
At the moment of writing this article, BTC is trading above $92,000, up by more than 3% in the past 24 hours. Previously, BTC briefly reached $93,000 before settling at current levels.
BTC price in USD today
BTC’s price surge is supported by rising global adoption and a comeback in institutional interest, among other factors. On January 2nd, the US-based BTC ETFs saw renewed inflows above $471 million.
At the beginning of 2026, optimism is back in the markets with hopes for a bullish new year.
