We are just over a month into the new year, and market movements remain as exciting as ever. Bitcoin and ETH continue to climb to new highs, while fintechs take aim at crypto adoption. Here at BitPay, we continue to welcome aboard new merchants, all the while releasing new products and services that make crypto transactions easier — and more profitable than ever — for the global business community. It has been an exciting month, with new and exciting product and feature launches.
In This Issue:
BitPay In the Spotlight
- Atlanta Magazine honors CEO, Stephen Pair as one of Atlanta’s most influential business leaders once again. Download the magazine here.
- BitPay’s CCO Sonny Singh says Bitcoin could hit $45K in a month, but there’s a catch. Learn why here. [Editor’s note: Thanks to Elon Musk and Tesla, BTC hit an all time high of more than $49,000 on 2/14]
- BitPay says fintechs Square and PayPal will drive Bitcoin and other cryptos to become globally accepted payment methods. Read about it here.
- This month, the Atlanta Business Chronicle did a profile of BitPay and it’s hometown. Check out the article here.
- BitPay Embraces DeFi with WalletConnect Integration: BitPay Wallet app users can store, send or receive Ethereum tokens DAI and WBTC through WalletConnect. Payment support for DAI and WBTC is expected this quarter.
- BitPay has added the Changelly API to BitPay App. BitPay customers can now swap crypto without ever leaving the BitPay app.
Other Industry News
Here’s a list of some of the most significant happenings in crypto over this past month:
- ETH, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, hits a record high above $1,700.
- Dogecoin rockets up over 40% in value moments after Elon Musk, Mark Cuban tweet about it.
- Check out Vanity Fair’s profile on BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes.On Oct. 1, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and federal prosecutors charged BitMEX with facilitating unregistered trading and other violations.
- Tesla said it has invested around $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and expected to begin accepting payment for its cars and other products with it in the near future.
- Visa Reveals Bitcoin And Crypto Banking Roadmap Amid Race To Reach Network Of 70 Million.
- What the Bitcoin boom means for offramping - looking to the future with Simplex.
BitPay Bids Welcome to New Businesses
It’s our monthly pleasure - and great honor - to welcome aboard new businesses that use our products and services. This month saw BitPay woo and win over clients from across a wide-ranging number of fields and industries - everything from Auto to Watches. Please join us in saying hello to these new, exceptional members of the BitPay family!
- Auto Canada Group - Luxury Auto Dealer (Email Billing)
- Generali Hong Kong - Leading Life Insurance Company (Email Billing)
- Habitat for Humanity - Nonprofit (Email Billing)
- Hedonists Watches - Luxury Watch Dealer (Email Billing and Shopify Integration)
- HGreg Lux - Luxury Auto Dealer (Email Billing)
- Humane Society of Tampa Bay - Nonprofit (Email Billing)
- KJC Coins - Gold & Silver Bullion (Online Payments)
- Pagani of Beverly Hills - Luxury Auto Dealer (Email Billing)
- TradeXAuto - Panamanian Auto Dealer (Email Billing)
BitPay Merchant Spotlight of the Month: PrivateFly
This month, we are highlighting one of BitPay's oldest (and favorite!) merchants. PrivateFly has been accepting cryptocurrency payments via BitPay for private jet flights since 2014.
In addition to booking one-off private jet charter flights that you can pay for using BitPay, you can also access PrivateFly's safety-accredited network of private jet charter aircraft worldwide by opening a Jet Account. Or become a PrivateFly Jet Cardmember and get fixed hourly rates on hand-selected aircraft from PrivateFly's family fleet and preferred suppliers.
No matter how you choose to fly, you benefit from the expertise, 24/7 service, and unrivaled safety culture of one of the world's largest private jet company groups, PrivateFly's parent company Directional Aviation. Jet Card or Jet Account members also enjoy enhanced benefits, including flexible cancellation terms and no expiry date. So you can buy now and fly later.
For more information contact PrivateFly at +44 (0)20 7100 6960 or visit www.privatefly.com
Word(s) of the Month: ETH, Ether and Ethereum
Though Bitcoin serves as the shining star for cryptocurrency, you may have heard about some buzz as well around another coin’s record highs. ETH or Ether is an alt-coin, or alternative cryptocurrency, that is backed by Ethereum, an open-source, blockchain-based, decentralized software platform that runs on smart contracts.
On February 5, 2021, ETH hit a fresh all-time high by valuing over $1,700 for the first time. It is currently the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin. While Bitcoin more than quadrupled in price throughout 2020 and is up 29% since the start of 2021, ETH has risen about 129% year to date. This surge has also fueled massive gains for various decentralized finance, or DeFi, tokens.
Product Spotlight: BitPay Reload
Does your business require customers to prefund or add balance to their accounts? If so, you should check out BitPay Reload. BitPay Reload empowers your customers to reload their stored-value accounts with cryptocurrency. Funds are immediately converted to fiat, available in minutes, and free of fraud chargebacks. It also has lower fees than traditional card deposits. BitPay Reload is the ideal deposit solution for prepaid debit cards, digital wallets, or any other product/service seeking to increase customer deposits. To learn more, visit our resource page and download our sales sheet.
Marketing Spotlight: Payment Acceptance
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, it can be difficult to decide what is and isn’t a priority for your business. You’ve likely heard of the term search engine optimization or SEO, and likely employ a lot of its fundamental practices when it comes to your website. But does your website or online store highlight BitPay or Bitcoin as an accepted payment method with dedicated landing pages? If not, you should probably reconsider. See how some of our merchants are attracting crypto users to their sites:
