Update, March 14: Microsoft has just confirmed that the update it made to the Windows Store FAQ page was just a mistake and that Windows 10 would continue to support Bitcoin. Original story below.



Microsoft has silently removed support for Bitcoin in the Windows 10 Store, despite the fact that the company adopted the digital currency in late 2014 with much fanfare.

Although an official statement from Microsoft is not yet available – we’ve reached out to the company for a word on this and will update the article when we get it, an update made to the Windows Store FAQ reveals that Bitcoin is not accepted anymore when buying content from Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile stores.

“Microsoft Store doesn't accept Bitcoin. You can no longer redeem Bitcoin into your Microsoft account. Existing balances in your account will still be available for purchases from Microsoft Store, but can't be refunded,” the update, which applies to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, reads.

In other words, the existing balance in your account can still be used for transactions in the store, but you can’t make any new deposits using Bitcoin. What’s odd, however, is that the FAQ page where Microsoft explains how to “add money to your Microsoft account with Bitcoin” is still up and running.

“Not yet mainstream”

There’s a lot of talk online right now regarding the reasons behind Microsoft’s decision, and while some say it’s because of the block size, others think it’s all because Bitcoin is not as widely adopted as everyone hoped it to be.

Back in 2014 when Microsoft officially introduced Bitcoin support for Windows Store purchases, the company said that not being a mainstream currency wasn’t a problem.

“For us, this is about giving people options and helping them do more on their devices and in the cloud,” says Eric Lockard, corporate vice president of Universal Store at Microsoft. “The use of digital currencies such as bitcoin, while not yet mainstream, is growing beyond the early enthusiasts. We expect this growth to continue and allowing people to use bitcoin to purchase our products and services now allows us to be at the front edge of that trend,” he added (emphasis is ours).

So most likely, the number of transactions based on Bitcoin and performed in the store was probably very small, and Microsoft had no reason to continue keeping it as a supported digital currency.

Whatever the reason, let’s just wait for Microsoft’s official answer and find out what this sudden change is all about.