Nets Group has united with Salamantex, Austrian specialist for the development of software solutions for cryptocurrency payments, for the expansion of the acceptance of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ether and Ripple to in-store points-of-sale in the country.

Additionally, the partnership is seeking to boost preparation for the introduction of future digital currencies such as the e-Euro.

In Austria, cryptocurrency acceptance is already well regulated, with Nets outlining it is considering further expansion of crypto acceptance in other European countries, dependent on respective national regulations.

“The rollout of crypto acceptance at the checkout in Austria is an important milestone for the future of digital payment,” said René Pomassl, CEO of Salamantex. “We want to make payments with digital assets – be it Bitcoin, Ether or, in the future, the e-Euro – available to the masses: securely, easily and in compliance with all regulatory requirements of the respective country.”

“Regardless of whether cryptocurrencies are regulated as investment objects or means of payment in the future, the introduction of digital currencies by central and national banks is only a matter of time,” said Robert Hoffmann, CEO of Nets Merchant Services. “The underlying technology for the e-Euro, the e-Franc or the e-Krona is the same as for cryptocurrencies. Their time will come and they will fundamentally change the payment market across Europe.

“As soon as the context and the rules have been established by the authorities in other European countries, we are ready to further expand crypto acceptance with Salamantex and offer it to merchants there as well,” concluded Hoffmann.