Update 5:30PM ET: Microsoft says a support page was updated erroneously and the company will continue accepting Bitcoin.
Microsoft first started accepting Bitcoins as a payment method for Xbox games and Windows apps around a year ago. Bitcoins could be used to fund a Microsoft Account, allowing owners to purchase content from the Windows and Xbox games, music, and video stores. Microsoft has ended its brief experiment with the digital currency, quietly updating its support pages to note that the Microsoft Store no longer accepts Bitcoin.
Existing balances can still be used to purchase content, but Microsoft will not refund balances and you can no longer use Bitcoins to top up a balance. Microsoft says that this change applies to "Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile," so it's not clear if this also affects Xbox users. Microsoft's move follows criticism of Bitcoin from prominent developers and pundits. Some have declared Bitcoin a failed experiment, while others think the cryptocurrency is dead.