Blue Origin Partners with Shift4 to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments for Space Travel Services

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Partners with Shift4 Payments for Cryptocurrency Space Travel Payments

Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, has partnered with payment service provider Shift4 Payments to allow customers to pay for their space journeys using cryptocurrency and stablecoins.

According to a press release issued by Shift4 on Monday, travelers can use popular cryptocurrencies and stablecoins such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC) to pay for their trips aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard for space travel. This new service also supports direct payments via popular cryptocurrency wallets like MetaMask and Coinbase.

To date, Blue Origin has transported over 75 passengers beyond the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. Shift4 CEO Taylor Lauber expressed excitement about extending their vision of “disrupting commerce” beyond Earth.

Alex Wilson, head of Shift4’s cryptocurrency division, noted that cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are likely to become popular payment methods for high-end consumption in the future.

Prior to accepting cryptocurrency payments, Blue Origin had previous connections to the cryptocurrency space. On August 3, TRON blockchain founder and HTX exchange global ambassador Justin Sun participated in the 14th crewed mission of the New Shepard program, completing a historic space journey and becoming the youngest commercially born astronaut from China. It is reported that Sun had bid for the first seat on this mission back in 2021, paying $28 million.