In a significant leap for cryptocurrency adoption in Europe, Austrian fintech firm Salamantex announced on July 2, 2020, that it has successfully integrated its crypto payment service software with the A1 Payment platform, enabling more than 2,500 merchants across Austria to accept Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Dash (DASH) as payment methods.
TL;DR
- Austrian fintech Salamantex integrated crypto payments with A1 Payment platform
- Over 2,500 merchants can now accept BTC, ETH, and DASH
- COVID-19 accelerated Austria’s shift from cash-heavy culture to digital payments
- System tested with select A1 5Gi network shops before broader rollout
- Part of a growing trend of crypto payment adoption across Europe and beyond
A Landmark Partnership for Crypto Payments
The integration between Salamantex and A1 — one of Austria’s leading telecommunications providers — marks one of the largest merchant-facing crypto payment rollouts in Europe at the time. The service allows merchants already using the A1 Payment platform to activate cryptocurrency acceptance with minimal friction, bringing digital asset payments to thousands of point-of-sale terminals across the country.
The system was initially tested with select A1 5Gi network shops before being rolled out more broadly. According to Salamantex, the supported cryptocurrencies at launch include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dash — three of the most widely held digital assets at the time, with BTC trading at approximately $9,123 and ETH around $229 on the day of the announcement.
COVID-19 Catalyzes Austria’s Digital Payment Revolution
Austria has long held a reputation as a cash-loving nation. A large poll conducted during the country’s parliamentary election in September 2019 revealed deep-rooted affection for physical currency, with one young Austrian citizen famously citing that cash was preferred because “you don’t leave a trace.”
However, the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered consumer behavior. As governments and retailers urged the public to switch to cashless transactions wherever possible, Austria’s relationship with physical money began to shift rapidly. Salamantex noted that this cultural change created an unprecedented opening for cryptocurrency-based payment solutions.
“Although Austria is traditionally a country with a high affinity for cash, the last few months have led to a mind shift after people were called upon by the government and retailers to primarily switch to cashless payment transactions as far as possible,” the company explained in its announcement.
How the Payment System Works
Through the integration of Salamantex’s service software into the complete A1 payment package, Austrian retailers can now offer cryptocurrency as an additional payment option alongside traditional methods. The process is designed to be seamless — merchants who already use A1 Payment simply need to activate the crypto feature to begin accepting digital currencies.
The payment processor handles the conversion and settlement, meaning merchants receive their funds without needing to manage cryptocurrency wallets or worry about price volatility. This approach removes the technical barriers that have historically prevented widespread merchant adoption of digital currencies.
Global Context: Crypto Payments on the Rise
Austria’s crypto payment expansion did not happen in isolation. The announcement coincided with several other notable developments in crypto adoption worldwide. In Australia, the Australia Post began facilitating Bitcoin purchases through Bitcoin.com.au, while Centrapay enabled approximately 2,000 Coca-Cola brand vending machines in Australia and New Zealand to accept BTC payments.
These developments collectively signaled a growing institutional and commercial acceptance of cryptocurrencies as viable payment instruments, not merely speculative assets. With Bitcoin’s market capitalization hovering around $168 billion in early July 2020, the infrastructure being built around it was increasingly geared toward real-world utility.
Leadership Vision
Salamantex COO Markus Pejacsevich emphasized the company’s mission to normalize cryptocurrency payments at the point of sale. “Our goal is to make paying with digital currencies at the checkout as easy and natural as we have been used to with credit cards for decades,” Pejacsevich stated. “The acceptance of cryptocurrencies opens up new affluent customer groups and enables merchants to position themselves as pioneers in their industry.”
Why This Matters
The Salamantex-A1 partnership represents a meaningful step toward mainstream cryptocurrency adoption. By integrating with an established telecom payment platform rather than building a standalone solution, the companies dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for merchants. With over 2,500 points of acceptance activated and the cultural tailwind of a pandemic-driven shift away from cash, Austria positioned itself as an unexpected leader in European crypto payment infrastructure. The success of this model could serve as a blueprint for similar rollouts in other cash-heavy European economies.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry risk, and readers should conduct their own research before making any investment decisions.
the 5Gi test shops angle is interesting. telecom companies positioning themselves as crypto gateways
lived in vienna at the time, barely any of the merchants actually promoted the crypto option. integration existed but adoption was close to zero
lived there too. the integration worked but cash was still king. austrians love their schilling nostalgia even decades later
telecom companies as crypto onramps was ahead of its time. took until 2024 for anyone to try it again at scale
Aarav N. telecoms as onramps was genuinely ahead of its time. a1 basically built what elon promised with x payments years earlier
A1 basically built what X payments promised years later and nobody remembers. telecom crypto rails were genuinely ahead of their time
2500 austrian merchants taking btc eth and dash via salamantex a1, july 2020 move
was working at a cafe in salzburg that got the a1 integration. literally zero customers paid in crypto over 8 months
kaspar_k 8 months and zero crypto payments at your cafe tells you everything about merchant adoption in 2020. the terminals were props not infrastructure
wien_sats kaspar_k same thing at my shop in Graz. terminal worked fine, had the sticker up for 8 months, maybe 3 people total even asked about it. two of them were tourists
graz_local the 2 page PDF in german tells you everything about how serious A1 was about crypto payments. it was a press release not a product launch
kaspar_k same thing happened at a shop in Linz. the terminal existed, staff had no idea how to use it, and customers never asked. tech without training is just a sticker on a counter
kaspar_k staff had no training because A1 shipped the hardware without any onboarding materials. my cousin worked at one of the 5Gi shops and they got a 2 page PDF in german. thats it
imagine including Dash in a merchant payment solution in 2020 and thinking it would compete with BTC and ETH
dash in a 2020 payment stack was such a weird choice. privacy coin features are irrelevant for buying coffee. should have been USDT or just BTC lightning
including Dash alongside BTC and ETH in 2020 was embarrassing even back then. privacy features for buying coffee makes zero sense
salamantex platform making payments easy for those merchants, good local adoption
Including Dash in 2020 merchant payments made no sense. Privacy features irrelevant for coffee purchases
Real-world experience: terminals existed but staff had zero training. Tech without onboarding fails
Telecoms as crypto onramps was ahead of its time. A1 basically built X payments years earlier
2500 merchants sounds impressive until you realize less than 1pct actually processed a crypto transaction. the terminals existed but nobody used them
less than 1 percent of terminals actually used. staff had no idea what to do when someone tried to pay in BTC. the hardware was there but the onboarding was zero
i was living in vienna when this launched. literally never saw a single person pay with crypto at any of these 2500 merchants
Stefan P. lived in Graz same time. our local bakery had the sticker, I asked about it once and they looked at me like I was from another planet. the integration was a marketing campaign not infrastructure
A1 payment platform integration was solid tech for 2020. problem was none of the checkout staff knew what button to press
terminal_rat_ staff not knowing which button is the real failure. Salamantex built the rails and A1 shipped the terminals but nobody trained the humans. same story in every merchant crypto rollout