Jamie Iannone, the CEO of the online marketplace eBay, has been contemplating the possibility of adding bitcoin payment options to the e-commerce site for some time. However, at its 2022 Investor Day on Thursday, the company didn’t make any announcements.
Instead, Iannone emphasized that the organization is looking into “adding additional modes of payment.” However, the e-commerce platform did show a slide for its digital wallet, which would be released in Q2. Payment information is stored in digital wallets, which are computer applications. Apple Pay and Google Pay, for example, are designed primarily for credit and debit cards. You can pay by tapping your phone at the point of sale instead of bringing out your (physical) wallet.
Digital wallets, on the other hand, can hold private keys that allow users to pay in BTC or other cryptocurrencies. Many popular crypto wallets have recently enhanced their functionality to make it easier for consumers to access and trade their NFTs, which are one-of-a-kind tokens that act as digital deeds of ownership to other assets.
What is eBay’s position? Since last year, you’ve been able to purchase and sell NFTs on eBay, which has long been a popular destination for physical collectibles by collectors. Iannone has also made it plain that he intends to target younger clients in various ways, such as moving beyond grandparents selling Hummel figurines out of their basement to sneakerheads and other similarly trendy consumer groups.
The advent of Google Pay and Apple Pay, as well as installment-plan platforms, implies that the marketplace is ready and able to “open up new kinds of payment,” according to Iannone earlier in February.
The wait, on the other hand, persists.