Earlier this week, Reddit users discovered the site had removed Bitcoin as a payment option for those looking to upgrade to Gold membership. If the site’s admins are to be believed, there’s a slight hope it’ll bring the option back in future.
Reddit Gold, the site’s premium membership, costs about $30 per year. With it, you can disable ads, change Reddit’s themes, and customize your avatar. You’re also allowed access to a private subreddit. You can “give gold” to members whose posts or comments you enjoy as a gift. In terms of elite options, it’s fairly straightforward.
Reddit first added the Bitcoin payment option in 2013 as part of a partnership with Coinbase, at the same time it started accepting credit cards. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong told TechCrunch at the time that it was a “large step forward for Bitcoin,” due to Reddit’s increasing popularity.
When we contacted Reddit for more information, we were directed to comments made by an admin on a post asking about the removal of the option. The admin, “emoney04,” said the removal was prompted by an upcoming Coinbase change, as well as “some bugs around the Bitcoin payment option that were affecting purchases for certain users.” The admin also said they’d consider adding the option again depending on how Coinbase Commerce, Coinbase’s new streamlined payment tool progresses.
At present, the only payment methods for upgrading to Reddit Gold is PayPal and credit card.
h/t The Merkle
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