DISH Network Says It Will Accept Bitcoin

Satellite television operator Dish Network said Thursday it will accept bitcoin as a form of payment beginning later this year, making it the largest company yet to accept the digital currency.

DISH, which provides pay-TV to about 14 million subscribers, said it will add the payment method as a convenience to customers.

“Bitcoin is becoming a preferred way for some people to transact and we want to accommodate those individuals,” executive vice president Bernie Han said in a statement.

The company said it will use the bitcoin platform Coinbase to process transactions.

Bitcoin, a digital currency once used only by a small group of supporters, has become increasingly mainstream over the past year or so. Bitcoin ATMs have been popping up across the U.S. and elsewhere, and the Federal Elections Commission recently ruled that political campaigns can accept small donations of bitcoin.