A supermarket in the Swiss canton of Zug has started accepting Bitcoin payments

A supermarket in Zug, Switzerland, has started accepting Bitcoin payments, joining a growing list of retailers accepting cryptocurrencies.

The local branch of global grocery chain Spar is now allowing customers to pay with Bitcoin via the Lightning Network, a faster and cheaper layer built on top of the BTC main net.

The store has been listed on BTC Map, a platform that tracks merchants accepting payments with the leading cryptocurrency. The update was shared by DFX Swiss, a company that offers crypto-fiat payment tools, noting that Spar in Zug is one of the first supermarkets in the country to support direct payments with Bitcoin at the checkout. Their OpenCryptoPay solution – an open-source standard for face-to-face crypto transactions – was used to make this happen.

Often referred to as part of “Crypto Valley,” the city has long embraced blockchain innovation. Nearby Lugano also made headlines last year by allowing the use of Bitcoin and Tether for government-related payments, becoming one of the first cities in the world to do so.

So far, over 1,000 businesses in Switzerland have accepted BTC payments, according to BTC Map.

The Bitcoin payment process at Spar is remarkably simple. Customers can scan a QR code and complete their purchase in seconds using a wallet that supports the Lightning network. According to Rahim Taghizadegan, director of the Bitcoin Association in Switzerland, this is fast enough not to disrupt the checkout process at all. He added that if the solution is used enough in Zug, wider adoption across the country could follow.

Spar's global presence makes this move significant. The company operates nearly 14,000 stores in 48 countries, serving more than 14 million shoppers daily and employing nearly half a million people.