Dubai Duty Free Accepts Crypto at 2 Airports as U.S. Airfares Jump 26.5%
Updated
Updated · Interactivecrypto · Aug 8
Dubai Duty Free Accepts Crypto at 2 Airports as U.S. Airfares Jump 26.5%
1 articles · Updated · Interactivecrypto · Aug 8
Summary
Dubai Duty Free on Aug. 6 launched Crypto.com Pay at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International, becoming the Middle East’s first airport retailer to accept cryptocurrency payments.
The move comes as travel costs keep rising despite softer headline inflation: U.S. domestic airfares are up 26.5% year over year, North American hotel prices are 64% above 2019, and motor fuel is up 40.9%.
Dubai tied the rollout to its cashless push, which targets 90% cashless transactions by year-end, while travel operators say stablecoins can cut foreign-exchange and card fees on cross-border purchases.
Crypto use is already deeper in parts of travel: private aviation firm Bitlux said 30% of on-demand charter flights and 44% of revenue in 2026 were paid in cryptocurrency.
Wider adoption still faces regulatory and consumer hurdles, with uncertainty around U.S. crypto rules and lingering reluctance to spend assets many users still treat as investments.