The president of PayPal says heâs intrigued by bitcoin and is thinking about adding the digital currency as a funding instrument for the popular online payments processor.
âIâve been spending a lot of time looking at it (bitcoin), and itâs truly fascinating the way the currency has been designed ⦠,â David Marcus said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. âFor us at PayPal, itâs just a question of whether bitcoin will make its way to PayPalâs funding instrument or not ⦠weâre kind of thinking about it.â
Reaction to the announcement within the bitcoin community was generally positive.
âIt is certainly not a bad thing,â wrote user zheo on Redditâs bitcoin page. âWe need big companies like this to accept bitcoin.â
Another Reddit user agreed.
âWe will look back at these times and feel proud we were onboard right before BTC went seriously mainstream,â wrote user bitcointhousandaire. âPaypal?? If you thought Western Union and Moneygram considering BTC was huge. Paypalâs interest just sealed the deal.â
Bitcoin Magazine also welcomed Marcusâ comments.
â(W)e are prompted to wonder whether such a hunger for leadership and ingenuity will prompt PayPalâs leadership to take the final jump to accept payments in the Bitcoin currency,â wrote Elizabeth Ploshay. âMarcus has cracked open the door to further consideration of the PayPalâs relationship with the Bitcoin currency. Hereâs to another step into prominence for the Bitcoin currency.â