January 23, 2025
Your January Newsletter for All Things BitPay and Crypto
The Important Bits
Happy New Year from all of us at BitPay! As we step into 2025, we’re reflecting on the transformative strides crypto made last year and looking ahead to an exciting new chapter for blockchain and payments. From quantum-resistant blockchains to governments embracing Bitcoin, the momentum continues, and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride.
Industry News & Headlines
Industry News
Read news from across the blockchain industry:
Bitcoin Briefly Slides Below $90K, MicroStrategy Buys More: Bitcoin saw a short dip below $90,000 before recovering, as MicroStrategy continued its buying spree, reinforcing confidence in the cryptocurrency (Investopedia).
Solana Is Now Quantum-Resistant, Solana Dev Claims: Solana developers announced new quantum-resistant measures, enhancing the blockchain’s security for the future of decentralized finance (Cointelegraph).
Bitcoin Enters 2025 as an Established Form of Money: Bitcoin’s status as an established form of money is further cemented with widespread adoption and institutional support (Forbes).
Fidelity Predicts Governments Will Be Significant Bitcoin Investors in 2025: Fidelity anticipates that governments will expand their Bitcoin holdings in 2025, citing its value as a reserve currency (PYMNTS).
Deutsche Bank Taps zkSync for Ethereum L2 Blockchain: Deutsche Bank is working with zkSync to create a compliance-driven Layer 2 Ethereum blockchain, marking another step toward institutional blockchain adoption (Finance Magnates).
Solana Pushes Validators to Test Early Firedancer Upgrade: Solana’s Firedancer upgrade enters testing, promising significant performance improvements for its blockchain network (CoinDesk).
Sony’s Layer 2 Blockchain “Soneium” Goes Live: Sony launched its proprietary Layer 2 blockchain, Soneium, aiming to drive innovation in gaming and entertainment (CoinDesk).
Nation States Turn to Bitcoin as a Strategic Reserve Asset: More governments are leveraging Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, signaling its growing legitimacy on the global financial stage (Forbes).
BitPay in the News
Stablecoin Predictions for 2025: BitPay was featured in a discussion on the future of stablecoins, Layer 2 solutions, and regulatory trends shaping 2025 (Cointelegraph).
BitPay Processes 600K Crypto Transactions: With over 600,000 transactions in 2024, BitPay remains a leader in cryptocurrency payment solutions, enabling businesses to embrace blockchain technology (Cointelegraph).
Stratos Jets Partners with BitPay: Stratos Jets partnered with BitPay to offer crypto payments for private jet charters, showcasing the growing use of digital assets in luxury travel (Business Airport International).
Look Back on 2024
Take a moment to explore BitPay’s 2024 Decrypted story, where we highlight the top stats and stories from a groundbreaking year in crypto. Relive the biggest moments and trends that defined 2024.
Market Movers
Crypto markets are always on the move—keep an eye on how popular coins and tokens are trending this month!
Best of BitPay Awards 2024
The Best of BitPay Awards are designed to recognize and celebrate the forward-thinking merchants who integrate crypto payments into their business operations. These innovators and pioneers are leading the way for cryptocurrency payments across all industries, from travel and fashion, to automotive and jewelry. Cast your vote and spread the word to celebrate your favorite merchants!
Nominations begin January 1st through January 31st. Nominate your favorite merchants that accept crypto payments via BitPay in the form below. Merchant categories span everything you can buy with crypto, from automotive and clothes, to travel and watches/jewelry. Once nominations are in, voting will begin on February 1st and run through February 28th.
→ Nominate your favorite BitPay merchants
BitPay Community Poll: Which merchant do you want to see accept crypto?
Where do you want to spend your crypto? Let us know!
BitPay Product Updates
Product Focus: Pay Bills
Leave traditional bill payments in the past. Pay off practically any bill with 100+ cryptocurrencies, including BTC, LTC, ETH, DOGE, and hundreds more.
✅ Credit cards
✅ Mortgages
✅ Car payments
✅ Student loans
→ Get the app or sign up at BitPay.com to get started
Word of the Month: HODL
HODL, which stands for "Hold On for Dear Life," originated from a 2013 BitcoinTalk forum post where a typo of "hold" became a rallying cry for crypto enthusiasts. Today, it symbolizes the strategy of holding onto cryptocurrency long-term, even during market volatility. It’s a testament to the resilience and optimism of the crypto community.
→ Learn more about the origins of HODL
Questions to Ask Your Payment Processor: How many transactions does the company process each year?
Don’t risk partnering with the wrong crypto payments provider. Arm yourself with the right questions to ask when vetting potential partners.
Read the overview here or download our expanded guide of questions to help spot a reliable and trustworthy crypto partner.
Merchant Promotions & Deals
Merchant Spotlight: Corsair
We’re thrilled to announce Corsair as the newest airline to accept cryptocurrency with BitPay! Corsair, the first French airline to embrace crypto payments, now offers a modern and flexible way to purchase plane tickets using Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over 100 other cryptocurrencies. Whether you’re booking an economy seat or traveling in luxury, Corsair’s integration of crypto ensures a seamless, secure, and innovative travel experience.
Promo: $25 Cryptocurrency Bonus when you activate any Stack Mobile data plan!
Why not get crypto back for something you do already, right? Activate your Stack Mobile account now and score an extra $25 in crypto! Plus, you’ll earn up to 15% crypto back each month.
Merchant Shoutouts
Check out this month's merchant shoutouts:
Shop APMEX’s silver and gold popular categories, including pop culture collectibles. Shop now!
OneGold gives you direct ownership of vaulted gold, silver, and platinum at an ultra-low cost. Start your free account today.
Buy a domain name with Namecheap today!
Ready to start accepting crypto with your Shopify business? Get started today with the BitPay app!
Instantly deploy high-performance cloud servers, cloud GPUs, bare metal, and cloud storage worldwide with Vultr. New users receive $100 to test their platform.
Use BrandBucket to name your business.
Shop US stores and have your items reliably shipped back home with Qwintry
Travel with Crypto
BitPay Travel is now open to all! In collaboration with Xeni, BitPay Travel allows crypto users to pay for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities with their cryptocurrency. Book your travel at great prices and pay straight from your cryptocurrency wallet.
Developer Updates
SDK Releases
eCommerce Plugin Releases
General Notes
Python SDK v7.0.0 drops support for Python <= 3.8
Upcoming Releases
BitPay Checkout for Magento 10.0.0
WooCommerce Plugin v6.0.0
Note: All information herein is for educational purposes only, and shouldn't be interpreted as legal, tax, financial, investment or other advice. Nothing contained herein shall constitute a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement or offer to invest, buy, or sell any coins, tokens or other crypto assets. BitPay is not liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies. For legal, tax, investment or financial guidance, a professional should be consulted.
