[2018-07-09] Microsoft Allegedly Stops Accepting Bitcoin Once Again

[bbc.reporter]

The attacks from the mainstream news media have been very constantly done in the past 2 weeks. Why? Is it because bitcoin will not die? The reversal of the bear marker is near? Some people in power are threatened?

But I reckon it will not be long until everyone will start clinging to the phrase if you cannot beat them, join them hehehe.



Big was people’s surprise when Microsoft began accepting Bitcoin payments a while ago. Although that was a positive development, it was evident the company never really saw any merit in cryptocurrency for the long term. Its failure to address most concerns regarding the removal of the Bitcoin option clearly showed that this payment option wasn’t of major concern to the technology giant.

Those rumors first began surfacing a few months ago. Bitcoin enthusiasts tried to find the BTC payment option, but it had been removed from the website. Instead, Microsoft had quietly moved the option to the user account screen, where BTC deposits could be made to top up one’s Microsoft account. It still had the same effect as direct payments, even though it was also a clear sign of what was yet to come.

According to a new Reddit post, anyone trying to top up their Microsoft account with Bitcoin will encounter major issues. Even though there are still links to top up one’s account with Bitcoin, the deposits are seemingly not being credited to users’ Microsoft accounts. This is apparently because the company has stopped accepting BTC transactions altogether, even though the payment option is still visible at this stage.

Read in full https://nulltx.com/microsoft-allegedly-stops-accepting-bitcoin-once-again/

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[1Referee]

As long as Microsoft doesn't come up with a statement itself, it's pointless to ride the mainstream bogus train.

If they actually got rid of Bitcoin as payment option, they would at least conveniently make it appear they have actually done so; nothing points at that.

Still active; https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13942/microsoft-account-add-money-with-bitcoin

It would be extremely stupid and nonsensical to get rid of Bitcoin at a time where the fees are peanuts and the volatility has decreased significantly.

If turns out they stopped accepting Bitcoin, which I doubt, it's all political.

The reason for the coins not being credited is likely related to the payment processor and not Microsoft itself.

[gentlemand]

If turns out they stopped accepting Bitcoin, which I doubt, it's all political.

In almost all cases so far it's because accepting it is a pain up the arse. If it's not dimwit customers complaining about mistakes they've made that the companies have nothing to do with, it's payment processors moving the goalposts.

Coinbase has been the biggest factor in merchant contraction. Switching to making merchants control their own private keys was always going to make most of them abandon the idea.

Bitpay is the only alternative with banking integrated and they're doing their absolute best to deter custom too.

Slightly strange that the only two payment processors that count appear to want to kill off BTC spending. I guess that still makes it political but it's the payment processor's politics, not the merchants. I'd very much like to know what their agendas are.

Coinbase is only too happy to control the private keys of their little people customers. If they're refusing to do it for corporations who they know perfectly well do not have the time or inclination to dick around with seeds there's something fucked up going on there no matter how they paint it.

[cryptofonia]

Has Microsoft support line? It'd be great to call it and record the conversation for to make all things clear.

[Carlton Banks]

Can anyone name a Microsoft product that they'd like to buy? I can't think of one

[RivAngE]

I had never come across any payment method with cryptocoins in the Microsoft store, if not for this thread I wouldn't know they were accepting Bitcoin in the first place.
So as the first post explains, they quickly moved it from a "payment method" to a "top-up method"!

I'm not bothered at all though, as newer technologies and clever ideas are surfacing from altcoins (and Bitcoin too I guess?) the transactions between fiat and crypto currencies will only get easier.
Also in theory, the more a coin will be used and the more coins that are available (mined), the steadier the price will get, hopefuly that'll make more companies accept them.

Can anyone name a Microsoft product that they'd like to buy? I can't think of one

Forza Horizon 4, that alone will be my first purchase from Microsoft!

[entrepmind23]

According to a new Reddit post, anyone trying to top up their Microsoft account with Bitcoin will encounter major issues. Even though there are still links to top up one’s account with Bitcoin, the deposits are seemingly not being credited to users’ Microsoft accounts. This is apparently because the company has stopped accepting BTC transactions altogether, even though the payment option is still visible at this stage.

If there is no official statement yet from the microsoft itself then it is not finalize yet as to whether they are still accepting bitcoin or not. It would have been a good option because many people are now using cryptocurrency and some do not have any credit/debit card so it solves the issue when it comes to people who cannot have this type of payment option.

It would be a loss to them if ever they decide to stop accepting bitcoin payments. It seems that we are now approaching for a bullish trend and more people would join in then so it would be a disadvantage to them.

[gentlemand]

I had never come across any payment method with cryptocoins in the Microsoft store, if not for this thread I wouldn't know they were accepting Bitcoin in the first place.
So as the first post explains, they quickly moved it from a "payment method" to a "top-up method"!

I think the one and only thing you could ever use BTC for with Microsoft was topping up your store balance, and it might only have been Americans.

I've never heard of anyone actually buying anything from the Microsoft Store. Their games are far cheaper elsewhere.

If people looked beyond 'Microsoft accept Bitcoin' they'd see they kinda do it, or did it, for one tiny corner. It's given far more weight than it deserves.

[1Referee]

Slightly strange that the only two payment processors that count appear to want to kill off BTC spending. I guess that still makes it political but it's the payment processor's politics, not the merchants. I'd very much like to know what their agendas are.

At first I wondered what the reason was for BitPay to suddenly act like an imbicile and turn a working formula into a pile of rubbish, but then I remembered that Roger Ver was one of the very first investors in BitPay, and that could very well explain why BitPay added BCash and around that point became extremely incompetent in every way.

Bitcoin has all the infrastructure, BCash not, and this could be a way for them to jump in and terrorize merchants into thinking Bitcoin is shit so they can take over its spot.

If BitPay was really interested in granting merchants general exposure to a way larger crypto audience, they would have accepted Ether, Litecoin, etc. Big blockers are pulling the strings in the background.

[gentlemand]

At first I wondered what the reason was for BitPay to suddenly act like an imbicile and turn a working formula into a pile of rubbish, but then I remembered that Roger Ver was one of the very first investors in BitPay, and that could very well explain why BitPay added BCash and around that point became extremely incompetent in every way.

Bitcoin has all the infrastructure, BCash not, and this could be a way for them to jump in and terrorize merchants into thinking Bitcoin is shit so they can take over its spot.

If BitPay was really interested in granting merchants general exposure to a way larger crypto audience, they would have accepted Ether, Litecoin, etc. Big blockers are pulling the strings in the background.

Don't forget Bitmain's investment too.

However there comes a point where your evil plans start to fuck your actual business and that must be happening right now. Bcash won't ever get the same adoption, end of. Surely there must be a few people interested in Bitpay doing what it was designed to do.

[1Referee]

However there comes a point where your evil plans start to fuck your actual business and that must be happening right now.

These big block assholes don't have much of a problem throwing money out of the window, they have plenty of it, especially after the fork.

During the massive spam attack where fees shot up to $50 big block miners minted empty blocks that could have generated them millions if they picked up transactions. Why? To let the mempool fill up and cripple Bitcoin further. Combined with their hashrate manipulation they managed to push block times to 15'ish minutes.

With miners filling up their blocks and not turning gear on and off to troll Bitcoin, the median fees at that point would probably be closer to $5.

Can't wait for LN to end this nonsense.

[richardsNY]

Can't wait for LN to end this nonsense.

It would be hilarious if these big block addicts suddenly don't want larger blocks anymore with how people once they opened their lightning channels don't want to close them anymore. The only way for their fee income to remain relatively high is to have the blocks remain as small as possible in order to force people to pay higher than average fees. Miners will more than ever thrive on fees the further we go in time, and big blocks don't help them in that regard. Instead of blaming Bitcoin for operating 'small' blocks and being taken over by banks and aliens, they should be happy that it increases their fee income.

[veleten]

Can anyone name a Microsoft product that they'd like to buy? I can't think of one

I would love to buy their Windows operating system ... one day 

[squatter]

Coinbase has been the biggest factor in merchant contraction. Switching to making merchants control their own private keys was always going to make most of them abandon the idea.

Bitpay is the only alternative with banking integrated and they're doing their absolute best to deter custom too.

Slightly strange that the only two payment processors that count appear to want to kill off BTC spending. I guess that still makes it political but it's the payment processor's politics, not the merchants. I'd very much like to know what their agendas are.

I think Bitpay is still pathetically trying to leverage their position to push protocol development in a direction that suits them. They should have gotten the message a year ago, but I'm guessing some of their shareholders have that agenda.

I think Coinbase has put payment processing on the back burner if it's not bowing out of the sector entirely. They obviously want to shift resources elsewhere and put the brunt of integration on merchants. I think their exchange and custody products are their priorities now, probably rightly so.

[gentlemand]

I think Bitpay is still pathetically trying to leverage their position to push protocol development in a direction that suits them. They should have gotten the message a year ago, but I'm guessing some of their shareholders have that agenda.

I think Coinbase has put payment processing on the back burner if it's not bowing out of the sector entirely. They obviously want to shift resources elsewhere and put the brunt of integration on merchants. I think their exchange and custody products are their priorities now, probably rightly so.

Bitpay must be fucking morons to not realise that ship has forever sailed. All that's going to happen is that someone non partisan will eventually leave them in the dust. It can't happen soon enough and I hope whatever investment went into them to attempt to influence things evaporates.

All they're doing with their actions is slowly marginalising themselves while the rest of the world moves on.

[milewilda]

According to a new Reddit post, anyone trying to top up their Microsoft account with Bitcoin will encounter major issues. Even though there are still links to top up one’s account with Bitcoin, the deposits are seemingly not being credited to users’ Microsoft accounts. This is apparently because the company has stopped accepting BTC transactions altogether, even though the payment option is still visible at this stage.

If there is no official statement yet from the microsoft itself then it is not finalize yet as to whether they are still accepting bitcoin or not. It would have been a good option because many people are now using cryptocurrency and some do not have any credit/debit card so it solves the issue when it comes to people who cannot have this type of payment option.

It would be a loss to them if ever they decide to stop accepting bitcoin payments. It seems that we are now approaching for a bullish trend and more people would join in then so it would be a disadvantage to them.

Its not actually a loss yet they can stand up on their own and wont mind the profits that they can get on adopting bitcoin as a payment option. I havent tried out yet on using this feature but just to think a payment option thru bitcoin is a big convenience because i do really love to purchase some of their products but those been needed traditional payment system like cards etc.
For now they havent give any information on such thing but atleast they would make an announcement because its quite alarming for those people who tried out to sent payments but they dont credited into their account?

[Carlton Banks]

Can anyone name a Microsoft product that they'd like to buy? I can't think of one

I would love to buy their Windows operating system ... one day  

Microsoft are in trouble long term, Windows & Office are their only profitable products overall, yet Microsoft are hell bent on alienating the userbase of both. So many casual users have switched from MS Office to Google or LibreOffice that their market leader advantage is more precarious every year. I predict big problems for just about all these tech giants (social media especially) in the long term, I suspect Google splitting into separate listed companies (meaning some are more likely to survive) was likely a foreshadowing of tech stock carnage coming within the next 10 years.

I once bought a Microsoft Windows licence; I had little choice as I was buying a budget laptop 8 years ago. It's never going to happen again.

[bbc.reporter]

Can anyone name a Microsoft product that they'd like to buy? I can't think of one

The Xbox hehehe.

Coinbase has been the biggest factor in merchant contraction. Switching to making merchants control their own private keys was always going to make most of them abandon the idea.

Bitpay is the only alternative with banking integrated and they're doing their absolute best to deter custom too.

Slightly strange that the only two payment processors that count appear to want to kill off BTC spending. I guess that still makes it political but it's the payment processor's politics, not the merchants. I'd very much like to know what their agendas are.

I think Bitpay is still pathetically trying to leverage their position to push protocol development in a direction that suits them. They should have gotten the message a year ago, but I'm guessing some of their shareholders have that agenda.

Bitpay has no leverage, but it is already beginning to slowly push bitcoin cash as the next preferable medium of exchange in the cryptospace. Everyone already has seen that bitcoin's core development team will not yield to pressure. The team has a vision, knows their roadmap and will follow it to the end.

[XFlowZion]

Bill Gates is just going down to multi-millionaire from a billionaire if he does not accept changes in the financial industry. I don't why he changed his mind because I remember that he said he liked bitcoin previously but now he has joined those others who wage war on bitcoin.

[audaciousbeing]

As long as Microsoft doesn't come up with a statement itself, it's pointless to ride the mainstream bogus train.

If they actually got rid of Bitcoin as payment option, they would at least conveniently make it appear they have actually done so; nothing points at that.

Still active; https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13942/microsoft-account-add-money-with-bitcoin

It would be extremely stupid and nonsensical to get rid of Bitcoin at a time where the fees are peanuts and the volatility has decreased significantly.

If turns out they stopped accepting Bitcoin, which I doubt, it's all political.

The reason for the coins not being credited is likely related to the payment processor and not Microsoft itself.

I would agree with you on the bolded part. Until they come out with a statement or an official of the company was quoted to support such decision from them then its merely speculation. Current happenings and statements made could have been responsible for the conclusion that bitcoin is no longer accepted by the platform which could be a form of technical glitch in that Microsoft as a reputable company would completely stop accepting than to accept and not give users with the required credits. Another way to look at it is that, it might be a form of testing the waters to see the reaction of the people before they decide to pull the plug on the acceptance of that option.

But I don't see this as having any major impact on price as the body language of Microsoft in recent time has been on the opposite that I didn't even know they are still accepting bitcoin and I am sure that  a lot of people would have thought that as well and that is why I felt no one is talking about it in the bitcoin discussion section of the forum.