Bitcoin News Today: Blue Origin Now Accepts Bitcoin Ethereum Solana for Spaceflights via Shift4 Partnership

Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, has expanded its payment options for commercial spaceflights by accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL), along with selected dollar-pegged stablecoins. The move is facilitated through a partnership with Shift4, a New York Stock Exchange-listed payment solutions company (NYSE: FOUR), which integrated a new checkout system to support digital asset transactions for upcoming New Shepard suborbital flights. This marks a significant step in the adoption of cryptocurrencies for high-value, experiential services.

Customers can now pay for their Blue Origin spaceflights using popular wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask, which enable instant on-chain authorization and settlement before the funds are converted to U.S. dollars for the merchant. The integration aims to reduce friction in high-value commerce, a key part of Shift4’s broader strategy. “Our mission has always been to revolutionize commerce by simplifying the transaction process,” said Taylor Lauber, Shift4’s CEO, adding that the company is now extending this vision “beyond Earth” [2].

The decision reflects a growing trend of using digital assets for luxury and premium transactions. Shift4 highlighted three main benefits of this approach: tapping into a growing base of crypto holders, enabling international transactions with minimal delay, and facilitating faster U.S. dollar settlement at any time of day or week [3]. Alex Wilson, Shift4’s Head of Crypto, emphasized that with the crypto market now valued at $4 trillion, digital assets are becoming increasingly popular for high-end purchases, particularly in cases where both buyers and sellers can save on fees and processing times compared to traditional cross-border card payments [4].

Blue Origin’s New Shepard system remains unchanged in its flight profile, with passengers traveling past the Kármán Line—approximately 100 kilometers above sea level—before returning to West Texas. To date, over 75 individuals have already flown on New Shepard, including notable figures such as Justin Sun, founder of TRON, who participated in mission NS-34 on August 3, 2025, following a $28 million bid in Blue Origin’s inaugural seat auction in 2021 [5].

The companies have not disclosed specific pricing for the spaceflights or the processing fees associated with crypto payments. However, the integration is now live and available for immediate bookings. Prospective passengers are encouraged to visit the program’s information page to become “one of the first 1,000 people to fly to space.”

The acceptance of BTC, ETH, and SOL for such a unique and exclusive service highlights the growing integration of cryptocurrencies into mainstream commerce. This development may signal a broader shift in how digital assets are perceived, especially for high-value, experience-based purchases. The move has drawn attention from the crypto community, with several outlets noting both the symbolic and practical implications of using digital assets in space tourism [6].

Sources:

[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-now-214819085.html

[2] https://www.newsbtc.com/news/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-bitcoin-eth-sol/

[3] https://www.blockhead.co/2025/08/12/blue-origin-accepts-crypto-for-space-tourism/

[4] https://beincrypto.com/blue-origin-bitcoin-payments-space-tourism-jeff-bezos/

[5] https://www.ainvest.com/news/blue-origin-crypto-leap-frontier-digital-assets-space-tech-synergy-2508/

[6] https://financefeeds.com/blue-origin-embraces-crypto-payments/