Cryptocurrency went from obscure hobby to buzzy hot topic in just a few years. But investors have been singing its praises for well over a decade. The rest of the world is finally catching up. The most crypto-friendly destinations are concentrated in Europe. In fact, 5 of the world’s top 10 crypto cities are in Europe. These are the cities worldwide that are most crypto-friendly if you actually want to spend your coins.
Ljubljana, Slovenia is #1 in the world for crypto-friendliness
The capital of Slovenia is the most crypto-friendly city in the world by a huge margin. Ljubljana has more physical destinations that accept Bitcoin than any city in the U.S. The largest shopping center in the city, BTC, is also in the process of becoming a Bitcoin “City.” Basically, this just means that each and every shop will accept crypto and operate on blockchain technology.
Prague, Czech Republic is the #2 city globally for crypto-friendliness
Prague also has an impressive number of restaurants and nightclubs that take cryptocurrency for payment. This is not super surprising, since Prague does cater to a younger, more sophisticated global visitor. It’s known all over Europe and North America as something of a party city, which makes it a great place to spend crypto on many goods and services. Czech people have had a low key distrust of fiat banking due to its own volatile history – which may certainly be part of the reason locals have been quick to adopt this more private, deregulated option.
Buenos Aires, Argentina is #3 in the world for crypto-friendliness
Argentina has an outsized number of crypto investors compared to its population. And Buenos Aires can boast a robust number of businesses happy to take your crypto coins the next time you’re in town. At publication, there were upwards of 150 places you can spend your BTC in the city.
Tokyo, Japan is the #4 city in the world for crypto-friendliness
The capital of Japan has a solid number of eateries and shops that accept crypto (well over 100) – enough to get it #3 designation on our list, but only one ATM as of this publication date! Tokyo is definitely the leader in Asia, with Seoul, South Korea the only other country to make the top 10 at #7.
Madrid, Spain is the #5 city globally for crypto-friendliness
A recent study of cryptocurrency adoption shows that 64% of Spaniards prefer the decentralized currencies to the rest of Europe (53%). In Spain, Ethereum and Bitcoin make up 60% of all cryptocurrency transactions. But because of this general friendliness to crypto, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Madrid – the financial center of the country accepts cryptocurrency at many brick and mortar locations.
Bogota, Colombia lands at #6 on the world’s most crypto-friendly cities list
It’s an interesting time in Colombia for crypto investors. The country has been attempting to regulate cryptocurrencies for years. That’s quite a mixed bag for the more than 200,000 investors in the country. In the meantime, Bogota is a place where investors can actually spend their currency (170+ locations). They can also use one of 33 ATMs around the city.
Honorable Mention: The United States has the most crypto ATMs in the world
An honorable mention shoutout to the U.S. No cities in the U.S. crack the top 10 for crypto ease of use, but we do have the most crypto ATMs in the world – by a mile. In fact, the United States can boast more than 30,000 crypto ATMs. Canada comes in a distant second with around 2,000 locations, and El Salvador with just over 200.
The most crypto-friendly city in the U.S. is New York, followed by Los Angeles and San Francisco. Los Angeles has the most crypto ATMs (1,862), followed by Houston (1,136) and Dallas (1,133).
Don’t forget to book your flights and hotels on CheapAir.com. We’ve accepted Bitcoin since 2013, and now take a selection of crypto coins for travel bookings. Happy travels!
