Bealls, a 110-year-old US retail chain with over 660 stores nationwide, has announced a new partnership with digital payments firm Flexa to enable in-store cryptocurrency payments. With this integration, Bealls becomes the first national retailer to accept digital currencies from any crypto wallet across more than a dozen blockchains at once.
The announcement marks Bealls’ 110th anniversary and highlights the company’s ongoing focus on innovation and improving customer experience. Over the years, the retailer has invested in new technologies, such as in-store kiosks and online shopping, and this latest move places it among the early adopters of crypto payments in physical retail.
Bealls Makes a Crypto Leap
According to the official press release, the system supports a wide range of assets, including stablecoins and meme coins. Customers will be able to make purchases using digital currencies at Bealls, Bealls Florida, and Home Centric stores.
As part of the deal, the retailer will utilize Flexa Payments, a digital payment solution designed for speed and versatility. The platform enables merchants to accept over 99 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and stablecoins such as USDC, from more than 300 different wallets.
Flexa Payments connects with existing retail systems and operates across mobile, in-app, and in-store environments. It also delivers near-instant transaction processing while automatically supporting new currencies and wallet applications as they become available.
The partnership comes as more Americans are turning to digital assets for everyday transactions. Bealls cited a study that revealed that, as of early 2025, around 28% of US adults, which is estimated to be about 65 million people, own cryptocurrency. The collaboration with Flexa broadens the company’s footprint in brick-and-mortar retail while simultaneously advancing its goal of making digital payments as simple and widely accepted as card or mobile wallet transactions.
In a statement, the Florida-based company’s Chairman and CEO, Matt Beall, said,
“Digital currency will reshape how the world transacts, and Bealls is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation. Our partnership with Flexa is about more than payments; it’s about preparing for the future of commerce and continuing to innovate for the next 110 years.”
Institutions Diving Deeper into Digital Assets
Bealls’ move reflects a wider trend across finance and commerce, where institutions are steadily increasing exposure to blockchain-based investments. A study conducted by State Street found that allocations to cryptocurrencies, digital cash, and tokenized securities are expected to more than double by 2028. Over half of those surveyed believe tokenized assets will form up to a quarter of total portfolios by 2030.
Asset managers are especially active, holding more Bitcoin and Ethereum than asset owners. A small but growing share is even experimenting with newer categories like meme coins and NFTs.