Alatau City Bank has activated 5,000 point-of-sale terminals accepting cryptocurrency payments across Kazakhstan, with transactions processed through Binance Pay, according to an announcement by Changpeng Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance. Retail merchants display QR codes and signage indicating crypto payment acceptance at participating locations.
The initiative represents a significant expansion of on-chain payment infrastructure in Central Asia, integrating institutional banking rails with decentralized digital assets. Alatau City Bank's deployment follows earlier crypto-infrastructure developments in the region, including cryptocurrency mining operations and Solana ecosystem activity in Almaty.
The merchant adoption underscores growing institutional appetite for bridging traditional point-of-sale networks with stablecoin and cryptocurrency settlement, particularly in emerging markets where banking accessibility remains a constraint. Binance Pay's integration enables real-time conversion and settlement capabilities that reduce friction for both merchants and consumers in cross-border transactions.