Digital currency exchange Coinbase announced Wednesday that its Visa debit card is set to launch in six additional countries in Europe after first debuting in the United Kingdom in April. Coinbase users can use the card to spend cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum at any merchant, online or in store, that accepts Visa.
CNBC reports that Coinbase U.K. CEO Zeeshan Feroz stated in an interview that the goal is to make payments with digital currencies as simple as paying with cash. “You can buy groceries on bitcoin and then coffee on litecoin right after,” he said.
The “Coinbase Card” will now be available in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands, while Feroz said the card has witnessed “extremely strong take-up” since it launched in the U.K. Though he didn’t disclose the exact figures, he stated that the company “blew past” the initial 1,000 cards it offered users for free.
The Visa debit card comes in a mobile app and syncs directly with Coinbase accounts. In addition, it’s available as a physical contactless card, capable of being used to withdraw cash from ATMs.
Coinbase users can choose which cryptocurrency they would like to make a payment through in the mobile app. Instead of paying retailers directly with crypto, Coinbase simply charges users a fee to convert fiat money, like the euro, into a digital currency.
According to Feroz, Coinbase hopes to further expand the card into other markets, however, it needs to meet the right banking partners. “We will be looking at all of our key markets including the U.S.,” he said.