Blue Origin, the space exploration company owned by billionaire entrepreneur and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will now accept cryptocurrency payments. The company announced on August 11th that it has partnered with leading payment company Shift4 Payments, Inc. (FOUR), allowing customers to pay for space travel using popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and stablecoins like USDT and USDC.
This new payment option will be available on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, used for commercial space flights. Customers can connect leading crypto wallets like Coinbase (COIN) and MetaMask to make payments quickly, directly, and securely.
"Together with Blue Origin, we are making space accessible to explorers around the world. This partnership will allow adventurers to easily and seamlessly book the trip of a lifetime, regardless of their preferred payment method," said Shift4 CEO Taylor Lauber.
The new payment option is effective immediately, responding to the growing demand for fast and secure crypto payments. To date, more than 75 people have crossed the Kármán Line (the internationally recognized boundary of space) into space with New Shepard.
Well-known figures in the crypto world are also showing interest in these flights. TRON founder Justin Sun recently flew into space with Blue Origin. There was speculation that Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao would also participate in a similar flight. However, CZ said he only plans to fly after Tesla owner Elon Musk goes to space.
Crypto and "Space"
The crypto community has been interested in space projects for years. Some blockchain projects have invested in satellite communication research, startups have funded space technologies through token sales, and companies like SpaceX have engaged in crypto-related PR. Blue Origin's crypto payment integration further strengthens the connection between these two high-tech fields.
Blue Origin's partner, Shift4, is a veteran of cryptocurrency transactions. The company, which acquired The Giving Block in 2022, expanded its Web3 reach last June by partnering with Chainlink and Mastercard. Thanks to this partnership, customers worldwide will be able to book space tickets with crypto whenever they want.
While the estimated $28 million in ticket prices makes this move seem more like a prestige and PR stunt, the acceptance of crypto payments in such a high-level service is considered a remarkable development in the industry.
