It looks as thought 2014 might be the year Bitcoin reaches a tipping point in the online retail industry.
Big announcements this month by Overstock.com and eyewear retailer Coastal have commenters like us excited about how Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general could revolutionize online retail.
It’s in this same spirit, apparently, that Change.org petitioner Micah Corning-Myers is prodding Amazon to take the plunge into digital currencies.
“Bitcoin is safe, simple, cheap, and most importantly, secure,” the petition reads. “Companies that accept Bitcoin show that they care about their customers.”
Nearly 2500 others agree, it seems, as that’s approximately how many signatures the petition has received at the time of writing.
To add your own name to the list, go here.
Corning-Myers isn’t the only person who thinks Amazon should also accept Bitcoin. Fani Kelesidou at The Motley Fool tackles whether the notion would be a good idea.
“From where I stand, given Bitcoin's immense popularity, accepting the virtual currency can be an easy yet effective public relations strategy,” she writes. “Customers are enticed into hitting the ‘buy’ button, not necessarily because of the high quality of Overstock's merchandise or its juicy deals, but simply because it accepts Bitcoin as a method of payment.”
However, Kelesidou admits she sees “no reason why [Amazon] should play with fire,” as the legal status of unregulated currencies is in doubt and could become a problem later on for retailers.