The Kazakhstan Bank allowed goods to be paid with USDT stablecoins

7/10/2026, 11:41 AMЕвгения Слив

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has successfully partnered with Kazakhstan's Alatau City Bank to integrate the Binance Pay service directly into retail checkout terminals. According to the exchange's co-founder, Changpeng Zhao, approximately five thousand specially equipped digital asset acceptance points are already operational across the country today. This innovative system allows shoppers to instantly pay for everyday goods by simply scanning a QR code at the register, completely eliminating the need for prepaid plastic cards or the installation of any third-party mobile applications, making the payment process exceptionally seamless and convenient for the average consumer.

The technical implementation of the project relies on the proprietary Crypto Pay gateway, which handles all complex conversion processes in real time. When a customer initiates a transaction, the system automatically converts their digital holdings, primarily the popular USDT stablecoin, into the national currency, the Kazakhstani tenge. Thanks to this elegant solution, the merchant is guaranteed to receive the exact amount specified on the fiscal receipt into their account, completely isolating their business from any sudden cryptocurrency price fluctuations on global markets and eliminating the headache associated with accounting for volatile assets.

This massive rollout was preceded by serious preparatory work and strong state support. The system's prototype was first officially demonstrated back in April in the presence of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the leadership of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. The actual launch began in May, and in just a couple of months, the network was expanded to an impressive five thousand terminals. This step logically continues the country's strategy for virtual money legalization: last year, the authorities already established the state-backed Alem Crypto Fund with the participation of Binance's local division to build strategic reserves of digital investment assets.

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