Cardano Foundation reports that ADA now accepted at 137 SPAR stores across Switzerland

The Cardano Foundation, a Swiss-based, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing Cardano as a public digital infrastructure, reports the integration of the Cardano blockchain into DFX.swiss's platform.

At the core of this move is Open Crypto Pay, a crypto payment standard developed by DFX.swiss. Through the integration of Cardano, customers can now pay with the cryptocurrency ADA in 137 SPAR stores across Switzerland.

Payments are processed in real-time and without reliance on centralised exchanges. The payment function of Open Crypto Pay also allows ADA tokens from native ADA wallets to be used directly at the checkout for payment.

According to those involved, a key benefit for merchants lies in significantly lower transaction costs: compared to traditional card and payment providers, transaction fees can be reduced by around two thirds with Open Crypto Pay.

"We're witnessing the beginning of a fundamental shift in how value moves through society," says Frederik Gregaard, CEO at the Cardano Foundation. "When blockchain becomes invisible infrastructure - when paying with ADA is as natural as using a card - we've moved beyond the experimental phase into genuine financial transformation. This partnership is planting seeds for an ecosystem where digital and traditional finance aren't separate worlds, but one seamless experience."

"Working with the Cardano Foundation is a logical step in our strategy to bring blockchain-based financial solutions out of the niche and into everyday use," says Cyrill Thommen, CEO at DFX.swiss. "With Open Crypto Pay, we demonstrate that Cardano is not only technologically advanced, but also delivers real value in daily payments - for both consumers and merchants."

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Payments will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.