Bitcoin vs Banking [infographic]
Skilljar (www.skilljar.com), a Seattle-based online courseware platform, announced today that instructors using its course platform are now accepting payments in Bitcoin.
Skilljar is used by online education instructors to deliver classes directly from their own websites, with topics ranging from yoga to computer programming.
Bitcoin Comes to Online Courseware
Instructors on Skilljar’s platform are automatically enabled for Bitcoin payments, in addition to accepting credit, debit, and PayPal. Bitcoin payments are converted to fiat currency at time of purchase, so instructors are protected from currency fluctuation risks.
“We’re really excited to accept Bitcoin for our Food Startup Branding classes,” said Danielle Gould, CEO and founder of Food+Tech Connect. “Because our goal is to decentralize and democratize learning, it’s important for us to align ourselves with innovative technologies that share our ethos. Skilljar’s platform has made it very easy.”
“The decision to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment was simple,” said Sandi Lin, CEO and co-founder of Skilljar. “It was driven by instructor requests, ease of integration, and the international nature of our business. Since we already use Stripe for payment processing, their beta program with Bitcoin made it easy to integrate while also leveraging our existing payments infrastructure.”
Skilljar Investors See Promise in Bitcoin
Skilljar’s interest in Bitcoin extends beyond the executive chambers.
Will O’Brien, CEO of leading Bitcoin security firm BitGo and also an angel investor in Skilljar, said, “Skilljar is the easiest way to deliver online courses, and by adding Bitcoin as a payment method, the company has dramatically increased its addressable market and is furthering innovation in online education.”
Skilljar was founded in 2013 by three former Amazon colleagues. The company incubated at TechStars Seattle 2013 and subsequently raised $1.1 million in financing.
