Blue Origin’s Acceptance of Cryptocurrency for Space Travel
Blue Origin, the aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced a groundbreaking move to accept Bitcoin
$118,597 and leading cryptocurrencies as payment for space travel. By enabling transactions with Bitcoin, Ethereum
$4,210, Solana
$174, USDT, and USDC, Blue Origin signifies a potential shift towards cryptocurrency acceptance within Amazon in the future.
Payment with Cryptocurrencies
Space travel has always fascinated the cryptocurrency community, which has actively participated in supporting communication technologies and space exploration projects with token sales. In line with this trend, Blue Origin’s acceptance of crypto payments strengthens its approach towards the cryptocurrency sector. During bull markets, crypto-related slogans like “To the Moon” gained massive hype.
This development from Blue Origin has been realized through a collaboration with Shift4, a company known for seamless payment technology. According to their statement, as of today, consumers can pay for their space travel on Blue Origin’s New Shepard using Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDT, USDC, and other popular cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. They also have the option to connect with crypto wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask.
Amazon’s Move on Crypto Payment
Blue Origin’s interest in the cryptocurrency sector was evident earlier when Tron founder Justin Sun participated in one of its flights, venturing beyond the Kármán line. As a result, the company’s operations have started to gain traction among the crypto community.
Meanwhile, another representative from the crypto sector previously traveled to space aboard a SpaceX rocket. Blue Origin’s recent initiative is seen as enhancing its visibility in the field of space exploration.
Shift4, partnering with Blue Origin, brings its experience in facilitating crypto transactions. In 2022, the company had integrated The Giving Block and later collaborated with Chainlink
$21 and Mastercard in June to enhance cardholders’ accessibility to Web3, signifying a broader reach for crypto payments worldwide.
With Shift4’s support, users across the globe can now book their space travels anytime, extending crypto payment options to a wider audience. However, this move is often perceived as a promotional effort rather than for practical benefits. Given that a space journey with Blue Origin costs around 28 million dollars, traditional finance systems already offer adequate methods to facilitate such substantial payments, making it less appealing solely as a convenience.
Nonetheless, Blue Origin’s initiative represents a notable intersection between space travel and blockchain technology. The cryptocurrency industry aims to continually offer innovative solutions, parallel to the innovative spirit embodied in space exploration. The major breakthrough would be Jeff Bezos endorsing crypto payments within Amazon, which could significantly boost the company’s revenue and lay groundwork established by Blue Origin.
In conclusion, Blue Origin’s acceptance of cryptocurrency payments marks the beginning of a new interaction between these two advanced technological domains. For those in possession of crypto assets, space travel is emerging as a new reality.