Blue Origin has announced that it will accept payments for New Shepard spaceflight seats in cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and select dollar-pegged stablecoins. This new payment option is facilitated through an integration with Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR), as detailed in a Business Wire announcement. The integration is now live and will be available for upcoming commercial flights, offering customers the choice of traditional payment methods alongside cryptocurrency transactions for one of the leading suborbital tourism experiences.
Starting immediately, customers can use Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC) to purchase tickets for Blue Origin’s suborbital flights. Shift4 has ensured that this new payment flow supports direct connections to popular self-custody wallets and exchanges, such as Coinbase and MetaMask, allowing for instant authorization and on-chain settlement before converting the funds to US dollars for the merchant.
Shift4's CEO, Taylor Lauber, highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader effort to streamline high-value commerce transactions. He expressed excitement about extending their vision of simplifying payment processes beyond Earth, aiming to provide a seamless experience for Blue Origin customers who choose to pay with digital assets.
The company pointed out three key advantages for merchants that have driven the acceptance of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in luxury sectors: reaching a growing number of crypto holders, enabling immediate international transactions, and ensuring faster settlements in U.S. dollars at any hour of the day. Alex Wilson, Head of Crypto at Shift4, noted that with crypto now being a $4 trillion asset class, digital payments are likely to become increasingly favored, particularly for high-end purchases, as they reduce fees and delays compared to traditional cross-border card transactions.
Blue Origin’s flight offerings remain unchanged, with the New Shepard system consisting of a reusable rocket and capsule designed to carry passengers beyond the Kármán Line, approximately 100 kilometers above sea level, before safely returning to West Texas. The company has noted that over 75 individuals have already experienced flights aboard New Shepard, featuring large panoramic windows for stunning views of Earth during several minutes of microgravity.
While the announcement did not disclose specific pricing for seats or processing fees related to cryptocurrency transactions, it remains unclear whether Blue Origin will convert received Bitcoin and other crypto payments into U.S. dollars. However, Shift4 has confirmed that cryptocurrency and stablecoin payments are available immediately for Blue Origin bookings, directing interested travelers to the program's information page, which invites them to become "one of the first 1,000 people to fly to space."
Notably, Blue Origin has previously flown prominent figures, including TRON founder Justin Sun, who participated in mission NS-34 on August 3, 2025, after winning the inaugural seat auction for $28 million in 2021. The proceeds from this auction were donated to 19 space-focused nonprofit organizations through Blue Origin's Club for the Future. As of the latest update, Bitcoin is trading at $118,491.
