Individual digital pay systems seem to be increasing in popularity among bigger companies. Google has their Google Wallet service. Apple has Apple Pay. And now it seems like Amazon is getting on board.
In a posting on the job search website Indeed, Amazon is searching for a senior software engineer to help push forward their “Amazon Coins” project, which they call “a virtual currency that can already be used to purchase apps, games, and in-app items on Amazon Appstore.”
The ad offers a not-so-subtle dig against Bitcoin and the rest of the cryptocurrency world:
Unlike some of those other “currencies” out there, we’re backed up by and have access to the customer trust and fortitude of the world’s largest online retailer.
Nevertheless, it’s clearly trying to appeal to those within the Bitcoin community. “If the crazy ride and popularity of Bitcoin makes you cackle like a mad-scientist, this is the place for you.”
Amazon had registered a patent in May which hinted at some sort of virtual currency adoption, and Amazon Coins may have been what that patent referred to.
Each Amazon Coin is worth one cent USD, and can be currently used for Amazon-related purchases only. In that sense, it’s more like a gift certificate than a currency.
Amazon And Bitcoin
Those hoping for Amazon to accept Bitcoin will undoubtedly be disappointed by this news. After all, if Amazon is developing its own virtual currency, it’s not likely to be interested in anything outside of it.
However, Amazon does have a history with Bitcoin.
Earlier this summer, the company acquired the online video streaming site Twitch.tv, which had already begun accepting Bitcoin a few weeks prior. The company later expanded its Bitcoin acceptance to more services on its platform under Amazon’s stewardship, an encouraging prospect.
Regardless, whether or not Amazon accepts Bitcoin will make little difference in its continued success. Respected names like Overstock, Expedia, Dell, and PayPal have already joined in, and Amazon will simply be left behind.
Amazon Hiring A Sr Software Engineer To Push Its Own Virtual Currency
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