Microsoft partnered with bitcoin payment processor BitPay to offer this additional payment option to its customers. “For us, this is about giving people options and helping them do more on their devices and in the cloud”, says Eric Lockard, corporate vice president of Universal Store at Microsoft.
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As per the report published by ZDNet, the reddit post reads, “You can no longer redeem Bitcoin into your Microsoft account”.
The rumor mill suggests that Microsoft will include extension support in one of the next Windows 10 Insider Builds which is expected to be pushed out soon by the company.
So as things stand right now, while existing bitcoin reserves are still allowed for making fresh purchases from the Microsoft Store, no new Bitcoin deposits will be entertained.
The company also allows players on its Xbox gaming console to make purchases using Bitcoin.
Microsoft has now taken down its original statement, and said in a new statement that it will “continue to support bitcoin”.
Microsoft has stopped accepting Bitcoin payments for apps and content in its Windows 10 store for desktop and mobile, reveals an updated support page spotted by Softpedia.
Just yesterday Microsoft website stated: “Microsoft Store doesn’t accept Bitcoin”.
Bitcoin had been gaining a lot of traction as a digital currency in previous years. In an interview he said “Bitcoin is exciting because it shows how cheap it can be”.
The move marks a relatively rapid change of heart for Microsoft. It is true that Bitcoin has been decreasing in popularity and many believe the currency is headed towards its death.
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Whether bitcoin payment reaches the level of PayPal or, in fact, mainstream credit gateways remains to be seen. Microsoft has, however, limited transactions to digital purchases, as the currency was not permitted to purchase physical merchandise.
