By early 2020, support for Bitcoin payments will be launched at over 25,000 sales points for 30 French retailers, including sportswear giant Decathlon and cosmetics store Sephora.
French crypto news outlet Cryptoglobe reported the development, announced during Paris Retail Week, on Sept. 24.
25,000 retailers to enter Economy 3.0 via Bitcoin
The new cryptocurrency payments system is launching via a partnership between point-of-sale technology provider Global POS, the EasyWallet application and payments platform Easy2Play.
While payments will be made in Bitcoin (BTC), funds will be automatically converted into euros at the moment of sale.
Conversion services are to be provided by two partners, Deskoin and Savitar, both of whom are currently applying for Digital Asset Service Provider accreditations under France’s PACTE Act.
Alongside Decathlon and Sephora, well-known retailers signing on to the initiative include Boulanger, World House, Intersport, Cultura, Maisons du Monde and Norauto.
Stéphane Djiane, CEO and founder of Global POS, has given a statement proposing that:
"This is an important symbolic step in the evolution of payment methods in France. However, more than a symbol, what we bring to 25,000 outlets is the ability to safely enter the world of Economy 3.0.”
After Bitcoin, altcoins could be next
By enabling consumers to use their cryptocurrency holdings at physical retail locations within a legalized and regulated framework, the initiative aims to broaden adoption beyond the currently estimated 4 million French crypto owners.
While Bitcoin remains the sole cryptocurrency on the cards for now, Dijane has indicated the platform intends to roll out support for altcoins in the future.
In January of this year, a handful of tobaccos shops in Paris started to sell Bitcoin, notwithstanding mixed messages from local regulators and the central bank.
Update: The original version of the article incorrectly included Foot Locker as one of the retailers, which was removed.