Block Inc. Drives 53% Surge in Bitcoin Merchant Acceptance
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Source: Benzinga
- Surge in Merchant Acceptance: According to BTC Map, the number of merchants accepting Bitcoin surged by 53% in 2025, reaching 11,242, indicating a significant increase in Bitcoin's acceptance as a payment method and enhancing its market position.
- Contribution from Square: Block Inc.'s payment system Square has enabled merchants to accept Bitcoin in everyday transactions, becoming a key driver of this growth and further solidifying the company's leadership in the cryptocurrency payment sector.
- Global Payment Share: Bitcoin accounted for over 31% of global payments processed by BitPay in 2025, indicating a rapid increase in acceptance and potentially attracting more merchants to join the Bitcoin ecosystem.
- No Processing Fee Policy: Block's introduction of a no-fee Bitcoin payment policy for Square merchants, lasting until 2027, is expected to lower transaction costs for merchants and may encourage more to adopt Bitcoin, further driving market growth.
Analyst Views on XYZ
Wall Street analysts forecast XYZ stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for XYZ is 86.35 USD with a low forecast of 55.00 USD and a high forecast of 105.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
27 Analyst Rating
21 Buy
4 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 64.920
Low
55.00
Averages
86.35
High
105.00
Current: 64.920
Low
55.00
Averages
86.35
High
105.00
About XYZ
Block, Inc. builds technology to increase access to the global economy. The Company operates through two segments: Square and Cash App. The Square includes managed payment services, software solutions, hardware, and financial services offered to sellers, excluding those that involve Cash App. The Cash App segment includes the financial tools available to individuals within the mobile Cash App, including peer-to-peer payments, bitcoin and stock investments. The Cash App also includes Cash App Card, which is linked to customer stored balances that customers can use to pay for purchases or withdraw funds from an ATM. Cash App also includes the BNPL platform. Its Afterpay business is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. Its TIDAL business is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Its Bitkey business is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto business is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
