Determining the intention to use cryptocurrency in food and beverage businesses

First introduced in 2008, blockchain technology has quickly become a global phenomenon due to its significant advantages and is considered a digital revolution. One of the applications of this digital revolution, cryptocurrencies, has gained dizzying popularity and has led to changes in various sectors. Businesses have rapidly started integrating cryptocurrencies into their payment systems, attracting the attention of academic circles as well. However, the use of cryptocurrencies in the food and beverage sector has not yet been sufficiently studied. This study aims to investigate the intention to adopt cryptocurrencies as a new payment method in food and beverage establishments. To this end, survey data were collected from 402 cryptocurrency users via social media. The study employed both the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). After conducting validity and reliability analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modeling were applied. The findings indicate that facilitating conditions, social influence, performance expectancy, and attitude significantly affect the intention to use cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, it was found that the risk factor does not statistically affect the attitude towards using cryptocurrencies, and effort expectancy does not statistically affect the intention to use them. In this context, it can be said that participants are willing to use cryptocurrencies for payments in food and beverage establishments, and that using cryptocurrencies could provide various advantages for businesses as well.