Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Launches Bitcoin Payments for Trips to Space
Highlights
- The space company will accept cryptocurrencies for trips aboard its 'New Shepard.'
- Clients will be able to make payments through wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask
- Notably, this move follows Justin Sun's trip to space through Blue Origin.
In a massive development for crypt adoption, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has announced that it will begin accepting payments in Bitcoin and some other cryptocurrencies. This company highlighted how these digital assets make payment easier, benefitting both customers and the company.
Blue Origin Rolls Out Bitcoin Payments For Space Trips
In a press release, the space company announced, in partnership with Shift4 Payments, that it will begin allowing customers to pay in cryptocurrency and stablecoins for space trips. It further revealed that starting today, these consumers can pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDT, and USDC for trips aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard.
Customers will also be able to use popular wallets like MetaMask and Coinbase, a top crypto exchange, to make payments. Blue Origin further stated that this new payment offering is available immediately for all upcoming commercial spaceflight bookings on the New Shepard.
The space company noted how it is making this move to accept cryptocurrencies as demand for “easy and secure” digital payment options continues to grow. Commenting on the move, Shift4’s Head of Crypto, Alex Wilson, remarked that, “Crypto is now a $4 trillion asset class, and the sky is the limit when it comes to its potential in the current payments ecosystem.”
He added that they believe crypto and stablecoins are going to become an increasingly popular way for consumers to pay, seeing as both the consumer and merchant can benefit financially from these transactions.
As CoinGape reported, payment giant PayPal also recently rolled out crypto payments for merchants in the U.S. Notably, crypto payments will help undercut traditional credit card processing rates.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s decision to accept Bitcoin and these other cryptocurrencies notably follows Justin Sun’s trip to space aboard the New Shepard. The Tron Founder has paid $28 million for a seat. However, this payment wasn’t made in crypto.
Another Space Company That Has Ties To Crypto
In addition to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is another space company that has ties to crypto. However, Musk’s company doesn’t offer crypto payments but simply holds BTC as a reserve asset.
Arkham data shows that SpaceX holds 8,285 BTC ($996 million). The company first disclosed its Bitcoin holdings in 2021, around the same time that Musk’s Tesla also disclosed its investment in the leading cryptocurrency. However, unlike SpaceX, Tesla had at some point accepted BTC as a payment option.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin will be the first of Bezos’ company to have ties to crypto in any way. Amazon doesn’t accept crypto payments, nor does it hold any digital asset as a reserve asset.
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