Walmart Expands OnePay with Bitcoin and Ethereum Support
- OnePay will enable Bitcoin and Ethereum trading through Zerohash for its app users.
- The app will let customers spend or convert crypto for daily purchases at Walmart.
- This step shows growing links between retail finance and digital asset adoption.
OnePay, the fintech firm majority-owned by Walmart, will soon allow cryptocurrency trading and custody within its mobile app, CNBC reported. The feature will give customers access to Bitcoin and Ethereum later this year, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke anonymously before an official announcement
The company’s entry into crypto marks a major step in integrating digital assets into mainstream consumer finance. OnePay, founded in 2021 by Walmart and Ribbit Capital, aims to become an “everything app” for digital banking in the United States.
This new feature will be supported by Zerohash, a crypto settlement and custody firm that will handle both trade execution and asset storage. Users will be able to buy, sell, hold, and convert Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) directly inside the app.
Furthermore, customers can convert their crypto holdings into U.S. dollars to make purchases at Walmart stores or pay off OnePay card balances. This setup builds a direct bridge between cryptocurrency ownership and everyday retail use.
As part of its expansion strategy, OnePay is evolving into a digital super app similar to China’s WeChat, which integrates commerce, communication, and finance.This may be the moment when crypto finally becomes part of everyday spending in America.
The Super App Vision Gains Ground
OnePay has been expanding its offerings gradually to mirror global super apps. It currently provides high-yield savings accounts, debit and credit cards, buy-now-pay-later loans, and even wireless plans. The company envisions including crypto services to maximize customer engagement and prevent them from interacting with high-volume external exchanges. This can make OnePay one of the first U.S. platforms to offer a single application integrating retail banking with digital assets.
While several firms have tried to replicate the WeChat model, none have fully succeeded in the American market. Analysts say Walmart’s brand strength and nationwide reach give OnePay an edge that few fintechs possess.
Earlier this month, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins expressed openness to platforms offering multiple financial services under unified regulation. He said regulators should “provide the minimum effective dose of regulation needed to protect investors, and no more.”
The SEC’s revised framework now allows firms to operate as super apps, servicing trading, lending, and staking under a single regulatory structure. This change in law could allow OnePay to achieve very efficient crypto integration under standard compliance frameworks.
A Broader Push Toward Mainstream Adoption
The timing aligns with a broader shift in Washington’s stance on cryptocurrency. Following President Donald Trump’s election, U.S. regulators adopted a friendlier tone toward digital assets.
The larger banks, on the other hand, have also been quick to move forward with their new developments. Morgan Stanley had announced in September of that same year that it would begin offering retail clients direct cryptocurrency access through the E-Trade platform. This trend then shows a nationwide trend of integrating crypto into traditional banking, rather than setting it up independently.
Related: Walmart and Amazon Plan Their Own Dollar Stablecoins
For OnePay, turning into crypto follows growing consumer demand for these simple yet integrated financial experiences. Most users remain skeptical about cryptocurrency due to concerns about security and the complexity of the procedures. What makes it user-friendly for OnePay is that it embeds trading and custody in an app familiar to most, thus eliminating these barriers and introducing digital assets in everyday people’s language.
Furthermore, being able to spend or convert cryptocurrency into cash within the same platform significantly enhances its utility, transforming Bitcoin and Ethereum from mere investment tools into usable currencies.
If well-executed, OnePay could thus accelerate mass crypto adoption by simplifying access and enhancing the real-world utility of cryptocurrencies. There is an evident confluence of retail shopping, digital banking, and decentralized finance here, a juncture that might well establish the new American fintech.
