OKX Card users within the European Economic Area (EEA) have shown a significant inclination towards spending on everyday necessities and routine purchases during its inaugural month of operations. Transactional data released on Wednesday reveals that grocery stores and supermarkets accounted for 26% of all transactions, while dining out at restaurants and fast food establishments collectively made up 18%. This spending trend indicates a clear preference for practical expenditures over luxury items.
The data, which encompasses settled transactions made using the OKX Card from January 28 to February 26, highlights activities in the EEA’s top 20 merchant types based on transaction count, volume, or unique users. An OKX spokesperson clarified that the dataset reflects a comprehensive overview of spending behaviors across all EEA markets where the card has been launched, intentionally excluding peer-to-peer transfers to focus on everyday spending.
Distinct spending patterns emerged at the national level. For instance, in France, bakeries registered 5% of OKX Card transactions, which is notably higher than the 2% average across the EEA, emphasizing the country’s strong café and boulangerie tradition. Conversely, Germany exhibited a pronounced preference for online shopping, with 30% of transactions made through online marketplaces, significantly surpassing the EEA average of 13%. The Netherlands demonstrated an exceptional grocery spending profile, with 37% of transactions occurring in supermarkets, marking the highest rate in the reported dataset.
Poland highlighted a tendency for small-ticket, in-person transactions, with 16% of OKX Card payments made at convenience stores and approximately 9% at fuel stations, both figures exceeding the EEA averages. The spokesperson from OKX commented on this emerging trend of using fiat currency for everyday crypto payments, challenging traditional perceptions that crypto cards serve primarily luxury or high-value purchases.
This trend reflects deeper cultural habits, indicating that stablecoin-funded payments could be gradually replacing traditional card usage in routine transactions. Such patterns not only point to the democratization of crypto spending but also underscore a shift in consumer behavior as everyday transactions begin to include digital currencies.
Aligning with these insights, wider market analysis suggests that OKX is not an anomaly in this regard. Other cryptocurrency card providers in Europe have reported similar findings characterized by a trend towards low-value, routine transactions. A 2025 report from Cex.io indicated that roughly 45% of crypto card transactions in Europe were for amounts under 10 euros ($11.75), with nearly 40% of these transactions occurring online—almost double the euro area’s average for online card payments.
Additionally, data from Brighty, published by Cointelegraph earlier in the year, revealed that Spain comprised about 36% of retail transactions and 25% of total volume for Circle’s euro stablecoin EURC within the defined timeframe, with average transaction sizes around 49 euros ($58). This data further illustrates the integration of stablecoins into everyday purchases and peer-to-peer transfers across the region.
The emerging data collectively paints a picture of a shifting landscape in spending behaviors across Europe as users increasingly incorporate cryptocurrency into their daily financial activities.
