Bitcoin’s commercial history

Bitcoin has come a long way from its early days, when there was practically no way to spend it. May 22, 2010, is often cited as the day of the first commercial bitcoin transaction. 10,000 BTC was used to buy 2 pizzas. This transaction didn’t happen between a customer and a business, rather one person traded 10,000 BTC to another. The second person then purchased the pizzas and sent them to the first person's home. The day has come to be known as Bitcoin Pizza Day. You can check here to see how much those two pizzas are now worth.

Present day

There are any number of indications of Bitcoin’s progress from person-to-person pizza bartering, to becoming a major payment option. Twitter now allows Bitcoin tipping directly on the site. You can now fund your PayPal purchases with crypto, which effectively means wherever PayPal is accepted, so too is Bitcoin and several other select cryptocurrencies. Finally, if you happen to be in El Salvador, the country has become the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. There are already rumblings that other countries are considering to follow.

How to spend bitcoin and crypto

Unless you're using a Bitcoin or crypto debit/credit card, you'll need a Bitcoin or Crypto "wallet" if you want to spend bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Read more: What is a Bitcoin wallet?

As for which wallet to choose, there are a variety of options out there. We invite you to try the easy-to-use Bitcoin.com Wallet. It supports payment in Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), and ERC-20 tokens wherever they are accepted.

As for how payment works, if you're paying in person, you'll typically use your phone to scan a QR from the merchant's point-of-sale app. If you're buying online, on the retailers' checkout page, just select Bitcoin (or other crypto where applicable) as the payment method and follow the instructions.

Where to spend bitcoin and crypto

Below are some examples of businesses that now accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. There are many more, and we encourage you to use our constantly updating list. We also suggest our interactive map, where you can find businesses near you that accept Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH).

Online retailers

Amazon is conspicuously absent, but there are plenty of choices for specific retail categories.

• Overstock: An American internet retailer, Overstock is a prominent e-commerce marketplace.
• Newegg: This online retailer specializes in computer hardware and consumer electronics.
• Shopify: A widely used e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems.
• Rakuten: A Japanese electronic commerce and online retailing company, sometimes referred to as “the Amazon of Japan.”

Travel companies

Travel and travel-related services are a very competitive industry. From a business perspective, accepting Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies is a great way to differentiate oneself from the competition. From a consumer perspective, not only is it a great way to spend your crypto, in some cases you can receive discounts and loyalty points.

• Expedia: One of the most popular online travel companies.
• Travala: This online travel company is crypto-first, accepting dozens of cryptocurrencies and providing users with an attractive loyalty points system. Note: Travala is integrated into the Bitcoin.com Wallet from the Discover tab.
• Virgin Galactic: Accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for space tourism.

Gaming

With most gaming purchases happening digitally, it’s no surprise that there are Bitcoin and cryptocurrency options.

• Twitch: A live streaming platform with roots in gaming.
• Bitcoin Casino: Hosts provably fair gaming for cryptocurrency enthusiasts who like to play for high stakes recreation.
• Keys4Coins: Use crypto to pay for software, games, and gift cards (also integrated into the Bitcoin.com Wallet).
• Xbox: Use PayPal to pay for games, add-ons, and Xbox Live subscriptions or buy a gift card from Bitcoin.com.
• Humble Bundle: A digital storefront specializing in indie games that contributes a portion of proceeds to charities. You can pay with PayPal.

Gift cards

For retailers that don’t accept Bitcoin as a form of payment directly, you still might be able to use gift cards purchased with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

• Bitcoin.com Gift cards: You can use Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash to buy gift cards from a huge list of retailers ranging from Adidas to Xbox.
• Coingate: You can buy over a 1000 different kinds of gift cards with many cryptocurrencies.
• Egifter: Choose from several cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Buy and send the gift cards directly to your shopping cart.
• CryptoRefills: In addition to a wide variety of gift cards, you can recharge any prepaid mobile device with cryptocurrencies.

Via the Bitcoin.com Wallet

The Bitcoin.com Wallet makes it easy to spend your crypto. In the Discover section of the app you'll find the following:

• An interactive map to find businesses near you that accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum.
• A gift cards space where you can browse through a huge list of retailers.
• Integrations with services where you pay with crypto for travel, games, software, and more.