Blue Origin Partners With Shift4 to Enable Cryptocurrency Payments for Spaceflights
Blue Origin has partnered with Shift4 to accept cryptocurrency payments for spaceflights on the New Shepard rocket. The partnership allows users to purchase tickets using:
Details on pricing remain unclear, though a ticket was auctioned for $28 million in 2021. A $150,000 deposit is required at application. Competing flights from Virgin Galactic are projected to cost around $600,000.
SpaceX currently does not offer crewed commercial flights but plans to initiate a "Rideshare" program by 2027, with fees starting at $650,000.
Shift4's founder, Jared Isaacman, previously financed a SpaceX mission costing at least $300 million and now facilitates crypto payments for Blue Origin flights.