Blue Origin launches payments with Bitcoin for space trips
In a press release, the space company announced, in collaboration with Shift4 Payments, that it will begin allowing its customers to pay with cryptocurrencies and stablecoins for space trips. Additionally, it revealed that, starting today, these consumers will be able to 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 major cryptocurrency exchange platform, to make payments. Blue Origin also stated that this new payment option is available immediately for all upcoming reservations for commercial space flights aboard the New Shepard.
The space company emphasized how it is adopting this measure to accept cryptocurrencies as the demand for easy and secure digital payment options grows. Commenting on this measure, Alex Wilson, Director of Cryptocurrencies at Shift4, noted: "Cryptocurrencies now represent a $4 trillion asset class, and their potential in today's payment ecosystem is limitless."
He added that they believe cryptocurrencies and stablecoins will become an increasingly popular form of payment for consumers, as both the consumer and the merchant can financially benefit from these transactions.
The payment giant PayPal also recently launched cryptocurrency payments for merchants in the U.S. In particular, cryptocurrency payments will help undermine traditional credit card processing fees.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin's decision to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies comes after Justin Sun's space trip aboard the New Shepard. The founder of Tron paid $28 million for a seat. However, this payment was not made in cryptocurrencies.