While cryptocurrency trading soared to unprecedented heights last year, investors are hoping the new year will also be rewarding. Multiple platforms are trying to tap into the emerging market with a multitude of services to their customers. These include an option to pay in crypto for goods and services that people use. Airbnb, the popular accommodation booking platform, is looking at a pie of the rising user base of digital assets. CEO Brian Chesky has said that the main feature users want Airbnb to launch in 2022 is to be able to pay for bookings in cryptocurrency.
This question was revealed during a Twitter poll he recently conducted. Chesky asked Twitter users, “If Airbnb could launch anything in 2022, what would it be?” Two days later, he posted the results by sifting through the nearly 4,000 suggestions he received. The top six were:
1. Crypto Payments
2. Clear Pricing
3. Guest Loyalty Program
4. Updated Cleaning Fee
5. More extended stays & discounts
6. Better Customer Service
The billionaire’s 40-year-old CEO said he’s already working on most of them and will now look at others.
Chesky said his company, which currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal as payment methods, has seen payment volume of $336 billion since 2013. Many users suggested to start accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and Shiba Inu. .
Crypto payments for booking accommodation would probably be welcomed by most cryptocurrency users as they are currently experiencing difficulties in making international payments. With crypto, this problem could be solved.
This isn’t the first time Chesky has talked about Airbnb exploring crypto payments. He said in an interview last September that people have continuously asked for crypto payments on the platform.