In its inaugural month of operation in the European Economic Area (EEA), OKX Card users primarily directed their spending towards everyday essentials, with groceries, dining out, and routine purchases dominating transaction data shared recently. Grocery stores and supermarkets were the leading categories, claiming 26% of all transactions, while restaurants and fast-food establishments collectively accounted for 18%. These spending habits surpassed those observed in travel and online marketplaces, indicating a shift in consumer behavior.
The analysis, which spans settled purchase transactions made with the OKX Card between January 28 and February 26, covered the top 20 merchant types based on transaction count, volume, or unique users. A spokesperson for OKX indicated that the dataset encompasses all EEA markets in which the card is operational, providing insight into everyday spending behaviors and highlighting significant outliers, including utility payments, while omitting peer-to-peer transfers.
Interestingly, the data revealed pronounced national differences. For instance, in France, transactions at bakeries constituted 5% of all OKX Card activities, which is notably higher than the 2% average across the EEA, reflecting the country’s well-known café and bakery culture. In Germany, a striking 30% of transactions were made through online marketplaces, significantly exceeding the EEA average of 13%. The Netherlands reported the highest proportion of grocery-related transactions, with 37% occurring in supermarkets.
Poland demonstrated a particular trend towards small-ticket, in-person transactions, with 16% of OKX Card payments made at convenience stores and approximately 9% at service stations—both exceeding EEA averages. These patterns suggest that the adoption of crypto for daily payments, traditionally regarded as a tool for luxury purchases, is evolving. The data indicates a broader city-to-city displacement of traditional payment methods, with ordinary consumers increasingly integrating stablecoin-funded cards into their day-to-day practices.
The trends observed in OKX’s findings align with broader market behavior in Europe, as other crypto card providers report similar patterns in terms of low-value, everyday transactions. A report from Cex.io projected that around 45% of crypto card transactions in Europe involved amounts under 10 euros (approximately $11.75), with nearly 40% of these transactions occurring online. This figure starkly contrasts with the euro-area average of only 21% for online card payments.
Further supporting this trend, Brighty data reported by Cointelegraph highlighted that between 2025 and early 2026, Spain accounted for around 36% of retail transactions and 25% of total volume regarding Circle’s euro stablecoin EURC, with an average payment size hovering around 49 euros ($58). Such insights underscore the growing integration of stablecoins into daily spending habits and peer-to-peer transfers across various European markets.
