Virgin Galactic has announced that they will be accepting payments made by the virtual currency Bitcoin for their space tourism endeavours.
Richard Branson, who founded the space tourism branch of his Virgin empire in 2004, said: "All of our future astronauts are pioneers in their own right, and this is one more way to be forward-thinking."
In a blogpost for the company, Branson went on to say that a female flight attendant from Hawaii purchased a Virgin Galactic ticket using bitcoin on last Friday.
Flights on Virgin Galactic cost $250,000. Bitcoin topped $700 on the MT Gox exchange, where it is traded, last week. Branson said on CNBC on Friday that payments will be transferred into US dollars to establish a fixed price in case the customer requests a refund.
Bitcoin’s value benefitted in recent weeks from growing support from investors, including China, who believe the decentralised currency could hold long-term promise as an alternative form of payment.
Bitcoins hit a new high recently when its value jumped more than 40% to $750 (£489) following a Senate hearing that said the digital currency could be a "legitimate financial service".
The US Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is currently investigating the ‘promises and risks’ related to the cryptocurrency, and its chairman, Senator Thomas Carper, said virtual currencies have "confused the heck" out of many people.
But he added: "Fundamental questions remain about what a virtual currency actually is, how it should be treated, and what the future holds. It’s clear that this technology presents some new and unique risks, but with it, there are clearly some who believe it has great potential."
"I have invested in some bitcoins myself and find it fascinating how a whole new global currency has been created," Branson said.
"For people who can afford to invest a little in bitcoins, it’s worth looking into."
At a US Senate committee hearing this week, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission called Bitcoin is a legitimate financial service, but warned that the government has little power to regulate the currency.
Branson said he hopes the currency will become more widely accepted by other governments with some regulation. He also compared innovations in flight to innovations in currency and speculated that: "The days of carrying cash and coins could soon be over."
