- Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s space exploration company, has partnered with Shift4 Payments to accept crypto payments for its suborbital flights.
- Customers can now purchase New Shepard tickets using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, as well as stablecoins like USDT and USDC.
- This move is driven by the belief that cryptocurrencies will become a popular payment method for high-value purchases.
Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, will now accept cryptocurrency and stablecoin payments for suborbital flights, all thanks to a new partnership with payments processor Shift4.
Passengers can pay in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or stablecoins such as USDT, with Shift4’s infrastructure handling the transactions.
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The company’s head of crypto, Alex Wilson, described digital assets as a US$4T (AU$6.1T) market poised to play a growing role in high-value purchases, citing cost advantages for both buyers and merchants.
We believe crypto and stablecoins are going to become an increasingly popular way for consumers to pay, particularly for high-end purchases, as both the consumer and merchant benefit financially from these transactions.
Alex Wilson, Head of Crypto at Shift4Very Accessible Seats
A trip with Blue Origin requires a minimum deposit of US$150K (AU$229K), though full pricing details are not disclosed. The company’s first seat auction in 2021 went to Tron founder and crypto billionaire Justin Sun, who paid US$28M (AU$42M) and completed his flight last week aboard the New Shepard.
Shift4 introduced global crypto payment support in October, allowing merchants to accept digital assets directly. The company’s shares (FOUR) closed Tuesday at US$86.98 (AU$131), up 4.82% on the day but still down over 20% for the year.
Its co-founder, billionaire Jared Isaacman, has his own track record in space, having flown with SpaceX and briefly been nominated by Donald Trump to lead NASA before the nomination was withdrawn.
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