Bitcoin is a digital currency whose future is predicted by experts to be revolutionary and disruptive to the already existing financial systems. Bitcoin is backed to revolutionize payments, savings, investing, and everything involving a transaction. Right now, it's easy for crypto lovers to detect these new waves.
Of all the instances that can be used, let's start with that of Professor Milton Friedman, an American economist. In 1999, the economist who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences predicted how the government would have less power with the introduction of the Internet. He said the world just needed a form of e-cash to complete the cycle.
Apparently, Friedman hinted that an e-cash coming into the scene would disrupt the government's centralization and control of financial institutions.
He said:
"I think the internet is going to be one of the major forces for reducing the role of government. The one thing that’s missing but that will soon be developed is a reliable e-cash."
About 9 years after Friedman made this statement, the Bitcoin whitepaper was released in 2008. The cryptography mailing list that the Bitcoin whitepaper posted is titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."
The growth of Bitcoin was slow and steady, but it has gone so far in its quest to reach its goal. With more people getting educated about how Bitcoin works, the value reached an all-time high of over $68,789.63 in 2021.
Now, companies are also integrating Bitcoin as part of their payment methods. John Donahoe, CEO of eBay, had this to say about Bitcoin. "Not only is Bitcoin exciting, but it’s also going to play an “important role” in the future of PayPal."
Below are some of the companies that accept Bitcoin directly or indirectly as part of their payment options.
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ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the companies that have accepted Bitcoin as part of its payment since 2014. The best part is that Bitcoin is not the only crypto payment they accept, as users can pay with other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, XRP, USDC, BUSD, and PAX.
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AMC
AMC movie theater, through their CEO, announced they will now accept payments in Bitcoin and some other cryptocurrencies.
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CheapAir
CheapAir has been an early supporter of cryptocurrencies as they have accepted Bitcoin in their airlines since 2013.
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AT & T
AT&T is one of the places to spend Bitcoin, as it became the first major telecommunications company from the US to accept crypto payments with Bitcoin.
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Twitch
Twitch is an Amazon-owned online streaming service that started accepting cryptocurrencies in 2014, although they were briefly suspended in 2019. However, they resumed accepting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payment.
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Tesla
During the massive bull market of 2021, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk announced the company would start accepting Bitcoin. But it later suspended it shortly and started accepting Dogecoin.
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Time Magazine
Time Magazine is finally stepping out of its shells and having a feel for the 21st century. The popular magazine partnered with the Crypto.com exchange, allowing users to pay with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
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Rakuten
Rakuten was the former sponsor of the football club Barcelona before Spotify took their place. The Japanese e-commerce company has accepted payments using Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash since 2019.
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Starbucks
Starbucks has quietly made some massive movements in the crypto industry. In 2021, the coffee giant announced it would start accepting payments in Bitcoin and Ethereum. They even took things to a new level when launching their own NFT program.
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PayPal
PayPal is probably the gateway other brands use to integrate payments using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The online payment software lets users buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly on their platform. Some supported cryptocurrencies on their platform include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.
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Microsoft
Microsoft joined other brands to accept payments using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for their products. Some of the things you can buy from Microsoft using Bitcoin are games for Xbox, music, desktop applications, and any other product in their store.
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Overstock.com
Overstock.com is one of the places to spend Bitcoin, and they are very vocal about their support for the crypto industry. They started accepting Bitcoin for their products and services in 2014 and even partnered with a crypto exchange to improve crypto payments on their platform.
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Newegg.Com
Newegg.Com is probably known for the computers and electronics parts they see, but they also accept payments with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
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Dish
Dish is one of the companies that accept Bitcoin, and you can also use Bitcoin Cash to pay for your subscriptions on the platform.
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Expedia
Expedia is huge on Bitcoin and even partnered with Coinbase to make crypto payments seamless for their customers. It is definitely one of the places to spend Bitcoin.