BTC Map helps people find businesses reported to accept bitcoin and maintain their information. It connects a map, community edits, open data and APIs. It is neither a payment processor nor a complete inventory of all Bitcoin commerce.
The foundation is OpenStreetMap objects with a location, name and payment tags. A contributor can edit an existing object or submit a report through BTC Map; a report should be checked before it is added. Edit history helps establish what changed and on what evidence. A new marker must not simply duplicate the same business location. [BTC Map — Project overview] [BTC Map — Tagging merchants] [BTC Map — Verifying existing merchants]
The tag currency:XBT=yes indicates Bitcoin acceptance but does not itself specify the payment route. payment:onchain=yes and payment:lightning=yes distinguish the main options; payment:lightning_contactless=yes describes contactless Lightning. The old payment:bitcoin tag is marked deprecated. A missing value is neither a confirmed yes nor no, and support for one method does not guarantee the other. [OpenStreetMap — Bitcoin payment tags]
check_date:currency:XBT records a check of Bitcoin information, check_date a check of all present tags, and survey:date an in-person survey. A phone call or website is not an on-site visit. The project aims to reverify at least annually, but a recorded date is not continuous monitoring. If acceptance ends, the Bitcoin information is corrected; the existing business does not thereby cease to exist. [BTC Map — Tagging merchants] [BTC Map — Verifying existing merchants]
Check the address, opening hours, current payment method and contact details. The map alone does not prove today's staff knowledge, available liquidity or a successful payment. Sometimes payment requires a third-party companion app, and the merchant may not even know the customer is paying with bitcoin. Distinguish that intermediation from direct acceptance and verify the conditions before travelling. [BTC Map — Verifying existing merchants] [BTC Map — Companion apps]
Local groups help businesses and continually correct information. A community page tracks area maintenance; it does not prove that all its shops form a closed Bitcoin economy. Record growth can reflect new mappers or imports. A decline after removing duplicates and stale records can mean better quality rather than automatically showing reduced use. [BTC Map — Communities] [BTC Map — Organised editing] [BTC Map — January 2026 update]
The project distinguishes total places, recently verified places and verification age. When comparing, preserve the snapshot date, area, filter and deduplication rules. The REST API exposes information such as places, areas and reports; availability does not turn it into audited transaction volume. Coverage depends on contributors, and online shops and unmapped peer-to-peer trades may be absent. [BTC Map — January 2026 update] [BTC Map — API overview]
Open code and accessible data enable scrutiny and reuse, but do not remove errors or licence conditions. The BTC Map website specifies AGPL-3.0 for the program; underlying OpenStreetMap data uses ODbL and attribution requirements. In your own use, distinguish software, map data and other content. Public availability does not imply permission to copy someone else's closed directories. [BTC Map — Software license] [OpenStreetMap — Copyright and license]
Form submissions are intended for publication; do not include private information. A map of public businesses should not expose Bitcoin holders' homes or non-public traders without consent. Base corrections on a verifiable source and necessary business details, not advertising claims. When visiting, avoid unnecessarily disclosing holdings or payment habits. [BTC Map — Privacy policy] [BTC Map — Tagging merchants] [BTC Map — Verifying existing merchants]
Five markers are not five verified checkouts
A hypothetical area has 5 markers. A local check confirms acceptance at 2 businesses, finds that 1 has stopped accepting, and has no answer yet for 2. The result is neither 5 confirmed places nor proof of zero use at unverified businesses. The maintainer corrects the observed status, records the actual date and verification method, and separates unknown information from confirmed facts. These counts cannot be used to calculate customer numbers or payment volume.
For the clearest picture, read this entry together with Merchant Adoption, Bitcoin Adoption Metrics, Grassroots Bitcoin Adoption, Bitcoin Circular Economy, Lightning Network, Bitcoin Point of Sale. The reverse links also lead from Bitcoin Adoption Metrics, Merchant Adoption, Grassroots Bitcoin Adoption.
01Does BTC Map guarantee that I can pay with bitcoin today?+
No. Check the current method, opening hours and availability directly with the business. Even a recent check does not guarantee today's staff, connectivity or liquidity; some places also require a companion app.
02Does the marker count measure the size of the Bitcoin economy?+
No. The count describes coverage of the map dataset under its filters and rules. Volunteer activity, data age, imports and duplicates affect it. The map alone does not measure sales, unique customers or all unmapped payments.