Since its introduction and development by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008, Bitcoin has led the charge in establishing cryptocurrencies within the digital market.

These days, people have set up a niche market for cryptocurrencies known as the crypto market.

Almost anyone who has ever been on the internet or used a device has heard of Bitcoin. It is arguably the most traded, used, and valuable digital currency on the market today.

With the Bitcoin prices today, the digital currency has developed into a significant asset that has attracted the interest of many traders, businesses, institutions, and trading platforms worldwide.

The attention Bitcoin has garnered over the years has somewhat cemented its mainstream status despite how many skeptics were convinced it was a fad.

The hypothesis cryptocurrencies would fall out of the market was substantiated by its struggle to stay relevant after its value dropped in 2018.

Bitcoin almost proved the skeptics correct when its value took a violent drop during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, to the relief of those who invested in the crypto market, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will endure and reach all-time highs by 2021.

Bitcoin is now even an acceptable form of payment for some major corporations around the globe.

It seems that after years of development and investing, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are finally becoming the money of the future.

Here are some of the top corporations that accept Bitcoin as a payment.

Microsoft

Microsoft was one of the first to pioneer the usage of Bitcoin as a mode of payment.

That news is no surprise to many considering Microsoft is the most well-known software company in the tech industry.

In 2014, Microsoft customers could purchase products in the Xbox store using Bitcoin, which spelled a bright future for digital currency.

Unfortunately, there was a brief period when the company had to cease all Bitcoin payments due to the volatility issues surrounding it.

However, Microsoft quickly brought back the Bitcoin payment option by reintroducing it to store credits and the online Xbox store.

Microsoft clearly believes in Bitcoin since they accept it as payment despite its past issues. Even Microsoft CTO Bill Gates considers it a great alternative to regular currency.

Twitch

Twitch is the largest streaming platform in the world today and is one of the first to adopt Bitcoin as a mode of payment.

Twitch is typically known for video game streamers, but it also has IRL, educational, entertainment, and ASMR streamers on the platform, to name a few.

The sheer variety of what you can stream on the platform has attracted thousands of content creators and eSports professional players. Many of them are there to build or maintain their respective fan bases.

Among the most notable established streamers are League of Legends pro players like G2’s Jankos, 100 Thieves’ Bjergsen, and T1’s golden boy: Faker.

The platform also holds a plethora of indie content creators and casual players like Pokimane, Amouranth, and Ninja.

These streamers garner plenty of attention from younger audiences who are more than familiar with how the internet works. That is why it is of little surprise that Twitch introduced Bitcoin payments into their system.

Specifically, viewers on these streams can use Bitcoin to pay subscription fees. Aside from Bitcoin, Twitch also supports Binance USD, Gemini Dollar, Paxos Standard, USD Coin, and Ethereum.

Starbucks

Ever thought you would be paying for your macchiato or latte using Bitcoin? While that may sound like something that came out of Cyberpunk, it is slowly becoming a reality for people who frequent Starbucks establishments.

While the popular coffee chain has not started accepting Bitcoin payments directly, they have found an exchange partner.

That means Starbucks customers can quickly exchange Bitcoins when entering the café and making their order.

Starbucks embraced Bitcoin payments during the middle part of 2020. Today, it is slowly becoming the standard mode of payment for many regular customers of the coffee chain. 

Shopify

Shopify is easily the most popular e-commerce platform because it enables users to buy, sell, and trade almost anything, including Bitcoin.

Additionally, if you decide to open your own e-commerce store on the platform, Shopify provides the option to add Bitcoin as a mode of payment.

Shopify has become an excellent platform for commercializing Bitcoin and allowing users to purchase products using cryptocurrency.

The only catch is that the Bitcoin mode of payment is only optional for e-commerce stores on the platform.

That means whether you can pay for a product with Bitcoin is entirely up to the merchant if they allow that kind of transaction. Not all e-commerce stores on the Shopify platform will automatically accept Bitcoin.

The Universal Currency Of The Future

Despite what many skeptics may say, Bitcoin is far from a fake currency or a fad. Digital currency is becoming a more viable mode of payment every day.

As mentioned, even large companies are now willing to accept Bitcoin payments for their products and services.

Today you can either shop, book a trip, or watch your favorite content online; you can pay for all that with Bitcoin.