Several businesses in North Dakota are accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — About four million businesses across the nation can now accept another form of digital payment. That payment is Bitcoin.

“It’s really gone from a form of money that was just kind of a store of value. And now, small to medium-sized businesses are starting to realize that if they adapt this technology, they can immensely outpace inflation. Which is a big threat to a lot of our small business communities today,” said Donovan Gibson, VP of Sales at Sovreign.

Gibson and the company Sovreign have worked with many small and mid-size businesses to navigate the use of Bitcoin and how it differs from other cryptocurrencies. He estimates that about seven businesses in the state, including 321 Coffee in Bismarck and Dakota Dream Tattoos in Fargo, have started accepting Bitcoin.

“I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to not have another gateway to get paid. It’s just another, another method that can be used to make money for your business,” said Micah Bartram, Owner of Dakota Dream Tattoos.

Bartram said the business started accepting payments through Square a few months prior. While he has had the payment accessible, he has yet to receive Bitcoin. But he believes this form is still a way to invest for the future.

“I just think it’s in its infancy right now. Not a whole lot of people probably use Bitcoin in general for purchases at this time. But I think moving forward, it will become more of a currency that people will start using,” said Bartram.

Square enabled the acceptance of Bitcoin back in November. And since then, the payment has been substantially growing.