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Microsoft Apologizes: Bitcoin Still Accepted

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:47 PM
Samburaj Das
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:47 PM

In a day when the major bitcoin headline was that of Microsoft seemingly cutting ties with Bitcoin, the company has now been forced to apologize for what it deemed as “inaccurate information”. Bitcoin will continue to be supported.

Technology giant Microsoft had suggested in a recent FAQ/How-to post that it would be no longer accepting Bitcoin. It was a clearly worded statement, leaving no doubt about its intent. “You can no longer redeem Bitcoin into your Microsoft account,” it said. However, the software maker has now claimed that the earlier post –now removed and redirecting to their support page – was simply a “mistake.”

Speaking to Softpedia — a tech outlet that picked up on the now-deleted  post early on in before setting the internet abuzz – a Microsoft spokesperson stated:

We continue to support Bitcoin for adding money to your Microsoft Account which can be used for purchasing content in the Windows and Xbox stores. We apologize for inaccurate information that was inadvertently posted to a Microsoft site, which is currently being corrected.

The feature to accept Bitcoin to add money into a Microsoft account was originally announced, with much fanfare, in December 2014. The option to use Bitcoin to add funds to an account was made possible through bitcoin payment processor BitPay, as a third-party processor.

The earlier CCN.com article covering the now-redacted statement of foregoing bitcoin payments highlighted the fact that users could still add bitcoin through the Xbox marketplace, Microsoft’s popular gaming platform. Furthermore, the ‘how-to’ post that is meant as a guide to help use bitcoin as a payment to add money into a user’s account remained active throughout and still does .

It is still unknown as to why Microsoft chose to create the original statement canceling support for redeeming Bitcoin into a user’s account. The subsequent global coverage and the inevitable criticism from the bitcoin community has influenced Microsoft to have a hasty change of tact with its take on Bitcoin.

Microsoft’s Windows Store and its Xbox Store remain platforms wherein users can purchase apps, music, software, consoles, games, laptops and other content & hardware by adding bitcoin into their accounts.

 Featured image from Shutterstock.