Uber, the food delivery and ridesharing giant, is thinking about entering the world of digital currencies as the company has started considering accepting payments in cryptocurrencies. The senior executive of the company has said that the company may add Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital currencies as a payment method to accommodate its customers from across the entire world.
Dara Khosrowshahi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Uber recently appeared in an interview on the 11th of February with Squawk Box of CNBC to reveal this fact. In the interview, Uber CEO said that the firm is exploring the possibility of adding Bitcoin (the world’s biggest digital currency in terms of market capitalization) and other digital currencies to its payment methods.
He said that the company would start accepting payments in cryptocurrencies if it is required or if there is any advantage of it. Khosrowshahi said that they are going to explore Bitcoin for payment purposes just like they are doing with all of the other local currencies. He further clarified that they would do it because it is good for their customers (eaters and riders) and it is good for business. And the company is not going for cryptocurrency payments as part of any kind of promotion.
Though the company is being friendly toward cryptocurrency payments, the CEO of the firm completely negated the notion of investing cash in Bitcoin (BTC). While speaking with the CNBC host, Khosrowshahi told that they are not going to buy an amount of BTC with their cash. It was just a conversation that took place, he said, but it has been dismissed quickly. He further confirmed that they are not so far in the business of speculation. He said that the company’s upside lies in the business that they have built and not in the investments. Therefore, they are going to keep their cash safe for now.
This question was asked from Uber CEO in reference to the recent investment made by the electric car company Tesla in the leading digital currency. Recently, Tesla made a staggering investment of $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and bought a handsome amount of BTC as a result of that. Due to this investment, the price value of BTC skyrocketed within few minutes and registered a new all-time high.