Airbnb takes a look at the subject of cryptocurrencies
Airbnb, the platform that allows individuals to rent their homes, is gradually turning to Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies. In an interview with The Verge, Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnbconfirmed the company’s growing interest in the digital currency sector.
“We are closely studying the subject of cryptocurrencies […]. As there is the travel revolution, there is clearly a revolution happening in cryptocurrency.”says Brian Chesky.
The CEO then compared the operation of Airbnb with how the bitcoin protocol works. According to him, both models dispense with a trusted third party by relying on a public registry.
In the case of Bitcoin, this is the blockchain. For its part, Airbnb publicly displays all traveler reviews on his site. A trusted third party is therefore still essential. It’s about the platform and its leaders.
“The Bitcoin white paper said that Bitcoin does not require trust because there is a large public ledger. Airbnb approached the issue of trust in a similar way: we offered a trust system where all reviews are the equivalent of this big public ledger.”says the CEO of Airbnb.
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Towards cryptocurrency payments on Airbnb?
At the start of the year, Brian Chesky asked his Twitter followers to choose the next new features of the platform. Internet users have overwhelmingly named cryptocurrency payments as the service’s next most anticipated feature.
In a recent interview with CNBC, the Airbnb co-founder claims to have taken into account the opinion of his followers. Following the results of the survey, Chesky assures that a “team is currently looking into this”.
“We have nothing to announce, but we are absolutely looking into it”adds the American entrepreneur, pointing out that “nothing can be implemented quickly”.
In the interview granted to The Verge, Brian Chesky assures that “all those who handle a lot of money” should take an interest in bitcoin payments. He also hints that Airbnb plans to remain cautious when adopting cryptocurrencies. This is why the company has no “no short term plan” on this point.
“You have a lot of volatility. One of the accounting challenges is that if you have gains, you can’t really rely on those gains, but if you have losses, you have to rely on those losses. There are a lot of things you need to think about”tempers the CEO.
As a reminder, Airbnb mentioned cryptocurrencies for the first time in 2020 during its IPO. The platform then estimated that he was essential to adapt to emerging technologies, including cryptocurrency. Despite this sustained interest, Airbnb has not implemented anything concrete in this regard.
? On the same subject – Will it be possible to pay in cryptocurrencies on Airbnb in 2022?
Sources : The Verge, CNBC
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