Amazon Rumors Disappear, Bitcoin Price Returns To "Sleep"

JAKARTA – Bitcoin prices fell again on Tuesday, July 26 after Amazon dispelled rumors claiming that the online retail giant plans to accept bitcoin as payment.

"Despite our interest in space, the speculation surrounding our specific plans for cryptocurrencies is incorrect," an Amazon spokesperson said, as quoted by Reuters. He acknowledged, however, that indeed the company is “exploring what the cryptocurrency might have like for customers shopping on Amazon.”

Bitcoin previously jumped 15% to more than $39,000 on Monday following a report from London's City AM newspaper stating that Amazon plans to accept bitcoin payments by the end of the year, citing an unnamed "insider" at the company.

The rumors were also fueled after the e-commerce giant recently listed job openings for digital currency and blockchain experts, which was seen as a sign that the company is planning to work with cryptocurrencies.

But Bitcoin was back down around 4% on Tuesday, and was trading around $37,000 by 7:00 GMT. However, crypto enthusiasts see the recent rise towards US$40,000 per coin as a turn towards a bullish crypto market.

Apart from Amazon, more and more companies are looking at cryptocurrencies with increasing interest in recent times. Tesla CEO Elon Musk last week said the automaker would soon start accepting bitcoins for its electric car purchases again after stopping those payments in May this year. Local banking institutions open bank accounts for cryptocurrency transactions.