Airbnb, the popular accommodation-booking platform, is eyeing a pie of the rising user base of crypto and digital assets
While trading in cryptocurrency rose to unprecedented levels last year, investors hope the new year would also be rewarding. Multiple platforms are trying to tap the emerging market with a host of services to their customers. These include an option to pay in crypto coins for goods and services people avail. Airbnb, the popular accommodation-booking platform, is eyeing a pie of the rising user base of digital assets. Its CEO Brian Chesky has said that the top feature users want Airbnb to launch in 2022. Users want to be able to pay for bookings in cryptocurrencies.
Setting out the opportunities and challenges that will define the company in the years to come, Airbnb said: “Our future success will also depend on our ability to adapt to emerging technologies such as tokenization, cryptocurrencies, new authentication technologies, such as biometrics, distributed ledger and blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and cloud technologies.”
The CEO added that they are working on providing most of those suggested and would be looking into others. Noting that Coinbase’s founder was an early employee of Airbnb. Chesky shared that they have been following the crypto space for quite a long time. The CEO opined that the key is for regular people to understand how the new technology improved their lives beyond the initial excitement.
The executive further opined: “The key is when regular people understand how the new technology improved their lives, beyond the initial excitement. I’m really excited about certain applications that regular people could use to live a better daily life.”
The payment options currently offered by Airbnb in most countries are Visa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB, and “debit cards that can be treated like credit cards”. Apple Pay, Google Pay and Paypal are also accepted. Cryptocurrency is currently not a payment option on Airbnb.
