Jeff Bezos' space travel company Blue Origin now accepts Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies for suborbital flights. The move marks the first time any Bezos-owned company processes direct crypto payments, pushing Ethereum above $3,200 as traders view the announcement as validation of real-world utility beyond speculation.
What Happened: Space Company Adopts Crypto
Blue Origin partnered with Shift4, a payments processor listed on the NYSE, to accept ETH, BTC, Solana, USDT, and USDC for New Shepard flights priced above $200,000.
Customers can send payments from wallets through providers like Coinbase and MetaMask instead of traditional wire transfers.
The system routes cryptocurrency through Shift4's infrastructure, which processes both card payments and digital assets for merchants.
Blue Origin announced plans to expand crypto payments to future projects including New Glenn orbital missions and lunar programs, according to company statements.
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Why It Matters: Institutional Adoption
The announcement signals institutional willingness to accept crypto for high-value transactions rather than treating digital assets purely as speculative holdings.
Blue Origin competes with SpaceX, which holds Bitcoin on its corporate balance sheet but does not accept crypto from customers, making this a notable operational difference in payment infrastructure.
Merchant acceptance creates organic demand separate from trading activity, adding utility pressure to price dynamics. Ethereum's network already processes significant stablecoin volume for cross-border transactions, and Blue Origin's adoption extends that infrastructure into luxury services where traditional payment rails previously dominated.
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