> The important thing is not what merchants want, but what customers want.

What many people in Germany want is a payment system that is as anonymous and is as hard to control by some untrusted entitity (both government and banks are very distrusted) as possible and what cash offers. That's basically cash.

Not without reason, in Germany there exists the well-known phrase "Bargeld ist gelebte Freiheit" ("cash is lived freedom").

Customers want lower prices. If merchants can offer that with a different payment system, then merchants may choose that.