The Dallas Mavericks now accept Bitcoin as a method of payment for both game tickets and merchandise. BitPay will process all Bitcoin payments through the team’s website. Dallas is just the second NBA team to accept Bitcoin. The Sacramento Kings became the first team to accept Bitcoin in 2014. They also use BitPay’s gateway.
“The Dallas Mavericks have been an outspoken advocate for Bitcoin, opening up opportunities for the team as it starts to accept Bitcoin for ticket sales and merchandise,” BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said in a statement.
Founded in 2011, BitPay is the largest blockchain payment processor of the cryptocurrency in the world. Although not publicly traded, the Atlanta, Georgia-based company has raised over $70 million from global investors. In 2018, BitPay processedover $1 billion in payments for the second consecutive year and set a record for transaction fee revenue.
The company recently introduced the BitPay Dashboard to provide its users with a more personalized experience. It also upgraded its identification features to make them more secure, requiring a photo ID, passport number and social security number for verification.
A previous relationship between 5miles, a Dallas-based mobile classifieds marketplace, and the Mavericks purportedly gave fans the ability to buy tickets and merchandise using a variety of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoins, CyberMiles tokens and Ethereum. The Mavericks and 5miles, who was the team’s jersey sponsor since March 2018, recently ended their partnership.
BitPay’s payment gateway is already up and running for ticket sales and on the team’s online merchandise store. As of this writing, one Bitcoin is worth $10,376.80.
“We want our fans who would like to pay with Bitcoin the opportunity to do so,” Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said. “BitPay allows our global fans to seamlessly make purchases with the Mavs.”
Via forbes.com
