Uber Technologies CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently made statements that the ride-sharing company will accept cryptocurrencies in the future as the industry becomes “environmentally friendly” and less expensive.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Khosrowshahi said that the company “at some point” will accept cryptocurrencies, but acknowledged that he still has reservations about it because the “cryptocurrency exchange mechanism is expensive”, adding that such a method is also “not good for the environment”. .”
Khosrowshahi says Uber is still evaluating integrating cryptocurrency payments for its ride-sharing services, which have a global presence.
“Will Uber accept cryptocurrencies in the future? Absolutely. At some point. This is not the right time, but we will.” Khosrowshahi notes.
The executive noted that Bitcoin, along with other cryptocurrencies, has become valuable over time. Khosrowshahi is known as one of the early advocates of Bitcoin. During his 12-year tenure at Expedia, a travel booking platform, Khosrowshahi made the platform one of the first major merchants to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment in 2014.
“I think now what we see with bitcoin and some of the other [cryptocurrencies] is that they are quite valuable as a store of value,” Khosrowshahi said. “As the exchange mechanism becomes less expensive and more eco-friendly, I think you will see us leaning a little more towards cryptocurrencies.” he adds.
Uber has not made any definitive statements on the matter, other than those mentioned by its boss. Since its inception, Uber has not made any moves in the crypto space. Notably, however, Uber co-founder Oscar Salazar moved into the cryptocurrency industry by founding Voyager, a cryptocurrency exchange, in July 2018.