The situation has, however, quietly changed, as the computer giant has recently added a note to its website revealing it’s no longer accepting the cryptocurrency in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 devices.
“You can no longer redeem Bitcoin into your Microsoft account,” the message says, though adds that existing balances in user accounts “will still be available for purchases from Microsoft Store, but can’t be refunded.” So to be clear, any funds in your account now are good to use, but forget trying to make any new deposits into your account using Bitcoin.
It’s not known why the computer giant has had a change of heart over the digital currency, though software database and tech news site Softpedia, which spotted the change, suggested the number of Bitcoin-based transactions with Microsoft remained small over the last two years. As a result, the computer company “has no reason to continue keeping it as a supported digital currency.”
The company’s support for Bitcoin allowed users to add funds to a Microsoft account and then spend them on items such as games, music, and videos – though not physical merchandise – in Microsoft’s online store.
The feature never rolled out beyond the U.S., adding weight to the suggestion that user interest failed to grow to any notable extent.
While Microsoft’s recently posted message states its position on Bitcoin for Windows 10 devices, its stance on Xbox-related purchases isn’t clear. We’ve reached out to the Redmond-based company for clarification and will update when we hear back.
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