Founded by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has begun accepting cryptocurrencies for spaceflight payments. The company now allows payments in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, as well as stablecoins USDT and USDC.
To implement this initiative, Blue Origin partnered with the payment company Shift4. Its head, Taylor Lauber, stated that this collaboration will make space more accessible to travelers by offering them various payment options.
“Cryptocurrency is a $4 trillion asset class. We believe digital assets and stablecoins will become a popular way to pay for expensive purchases, as such transactions are financially beneficial for both sellers and buyers,” added Alex Wilson, head of crypto at Shift4.
Users can connect Coinbase and MetaMask wallets for direct payment. The option is available for all future commercial flights on the suborbital rocket New Shepard.
The cost of a spaceflight with Blue Origin is not disclosed, but the deposit is at least $150,000. In 2021, the firm auctioned the first seat on the New Shepard spacecraft, which was purchased for $28 million by TRON founder Justin Sun.
However, in March 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against him, causing a delay in his participation in the mission.
In August, Sun completed a suborbital flight aboard the Blue Origin NS-34 mission.