It's no secret that cryptocurrencies don't receive many plaudits in the mainstream media as reliable means of payment. Critics have even claimed that Bitcoin "sucks" as a payment mechanism. Yet, despite that blinkered skepticism, cryptocurrency payments actually grew last year. Payment processor BitPay reported a "record" $1 billion in transaction revenue in 2018, with its business-to-business (B2B) operations increasing by 255 percent compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the use of cryptocurrencies in such economically unstable countries as Venezuela and India has surged, as people turn to the likes of Bitcoin and Dash to escape from increasingly worthless national currencies. …

Top Stories This Week Research: ‘Free’ Electricity for Students Makes College Campuses Major Crypto Miners According to research from tech conglomerate Cisco, college campuses are the second-largest crypto miners across industry verticals. The researchers investigated crypto mining activities across a variety of industries, finding that university campuses are ranked the second-biggest miners of digital currency at 22 percent, with the energy and utilities sector in first at around 34 percent. According to the research, the increasing mining difficulty for many cryptocurrency means that a higher amount electricity is needed, making it profitable for students to mine since the university pays …

New details about Starbucks’ partnership with United States cryptocurrency platform Bakkt suggest the coffee giant will accept Bitcoin (BTC)-based payments after an equity deal, cryptocurrency industry news outlet The Block reported on Mar. 4. Starbucks, which became known as a founding partner in Bakkt upon its unveiling in August last year, will reportedly support its software to allow U.S. customers to pay for products. As The Block reported, no actual cryptocurrency will end up processed by the chain, as the crypto will be instantly transferred into fiat. Still in the final pre-release stages, Bakkt aims to become a major on-ramp …

The former CEO and chairman of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has announced he is considering an independent run in the forthcoming 2020 United States presidential elections, in a tweet posted on Jan. 27. “I love our country, and I am seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent,” he wrote — prompting a spate of critical responses, with most commentators arguing that an independent candidacy would diminish the likelihood of a successful, unified Democratic alternative to a second Trump presidential term. For commentators in the crypto space, a Schultz run would present a complex picture. In a transcript of Starbucks’ …

Starbucks has clarified that it will not be accepting Bitcoin (BTC) or other cryptocurrencies as payment, despite misleading reports from mainstream media, a spokesperson told Motherboard Friday, August 3. Earlier on Friday, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) operator the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced plans to create a new “global platform and ecosystem for digital assets,” dubbed “Bakkt,” alongside a group of big name enterprises including Starbucks, BCG and Microsoft. Following the major announcement, a number of mainstream media outlets, including Bloomberg and CNBC, ran misleading headlines –– such as CNBC’s “New Starbucks partnership with Microsoft allows customers to pay for …

Foldapp is a website that allows you to get 20% off Starbucks purchases by paying with Bitcoin. They are looking to expand to other retail companies that accept gift cards. Similar to companies like Gyft, Fold allows you to buy gift cards supported by the International Coffee Lounge, through the great efficiency and minimal costs of Bitcoin. Simply load up with Bitcoin on the Foldapp website, and it will generate the magic code to get you Starbucks coffee, blueberry cheesecake, or whatever else you fancy, at 20% off. Fold recently asked for feedback on ZapChain (the buzzing Bitcoin hangout), and …