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You can now buy games on Steam using Bitcoin

You can now buy games on Steam using Bitcoin

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Valve's partner Bitpay says it's targeting users in developing countries

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Valve has partnered with Bitcoin payment service Bitpay to bring everyone's favorite cryptocurrency to games platform Steam. Bitpay says it was approached by the company because it wanted to internationalize its operation, making it easier for Steam users in emerging markets to to buy games without using a credit card.

"While more users are coming online in these countries, traditional payment options like credit cards often aren't available," said Bitpay in a blog post. "As the internet's universal currency, Bitcoin will allow Steam to easily reach gamers in every market around the world — without the high fees or the risk of chargeback fraud that come with card payments."

steam bitcoin

While it's true that many gamers in emerging countries might not have easy access to a credit or debit card, it's perhaps not fair to say that Bitcoin is completely without risk. But while fluctuating currency values and hacked wallets continue to make the cryptocurrency a risky option for the uninitiated, Bitcoin should at least be able to handle that one-off purchase of Rocket League (the only Steam game you really need right now).