Amazon has plans to simply accept the cryptocurrency bitcoin by the top of 2021, in keeping with an anonymously sourced report within the London newspaper City A.M. And whereas that is simply the phrase of 1 nameless “insider” on the Seattle-based mega-retailer, bitcoin’s worth skyrocketed in a single day and it’s creating a variety of buzz on this planet of cryptocurrencies—a world constructed on little greater than buzz.

“This isn’t just going through the motions to set up cryptocurrency payment solutions at some point in the future—this is a full-on, well-discussed, integral part of the future mechanism of how Amazon will work,” the nameless supply instructed City A.M. in an article printed early Monday.

The insider claims that bitcoin would be the first of roughly eight cryptocurrencies Amazon will begin accepting, finally together with cash like ethereum, cardano and “bitcoin cash” within the combine. The supply instructed City A.M. that Amazon’s crypto plans have been in movement since 2019 and it “won’t take long” for the corporate to simply accept crypto.

Amazon even has plans to develop its personal cryptocurrency, in keeping with the supply. And the corporate may make it attainable to earn rewards for paying with what the insider calls Amazon’s “native coin.” Amazon didn’t instantly reply to an inquiry from Gizmodo about its crypto plans early Monday.

The worth of bitcoin surged 13% early Monday following the article from City A.M. going stay, with the pretend digital cash hitting $39,143 round 2:00 a.m. ET. The worth of bitcoin was simply $34,420 solely 12 hours earlier.

The new report from City A.M. comes after web customers noticed some fascinating job postings at Amazon over the weekend, together with one for a “Digital Currency and Blockchain Product Lead.”

From the Amazon job posting:

The Payments Acceptance & Experience workforce is in search of an skilled product chief to develop Amazon’s Digital Currency and Blockchain technique and product roadmap. You will leverage your area experience in Blockchain, Distributed Ledger, Central Bank Digital Currencies and Cryptocurrency to develop the case for the capabilities which ought to be developed, drive total imaginative and prescient and product technique, and achieve management buy-in and funding for brand spanking new capabilities. You will work carefully with groups throughout Amazon together with AWS to develop the roadmap together with the shopper expertise, technical technique and capabilities in addition to the launch technique.

The crypto information web site Coin Telegraph noticed one other blockchain-centric job posting from Amazon this previous February, although that gave the impression to be particular to Mexico.

It’s maybe not shocking that Amazon would search for methods to simply accept bitcoin and different main cryptocurrencies, however it’s an enormous pink flag that Amazon wish to develop its personal cryptocurrency. Depending on the way you take a look at it, such a plan would plunge us into the previous, the place corporations paid staff in “scrip” that might solely be used on the firm retailer, or it will hurl us into the sci-fi future, the place a single corporation controls all the pieces we purchase.

Facebook’s plan to develop its personal digital cash hit loads of roadblocks after regulators and politicians world wide warned “Zuck Bucks” would give the corporate an excessive amount of energy. Facebook’s digital cash undertaking was introduced in 2019 as Libra after which renamed Diem after plenty of unhealthy publicity. Diem has but to launch.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon earlier this month, however he’s nonetheless the executive chair of the corporate. And for those who imagine City A.M. the whole crypto plan has been coming from Bezos.

“It begins with Bitcoin – this is the key first stage of this crypto project, and the directive is coming from the very top… Jeff Bezos himself,” the Amazon insider is quoted as saying.

It’s tough to think about what the world may appear to be if America’s largest on-line retailer created its personal digital cash from nothing. Can you image shopping for meals, getting your paycheck, and even paying your taxes with AmazonCoin? It sounds ridiculous from the vantage level of 2021. But it may be much less ridiculous while you do not forget that billionaires like Bezos can just about do no matter they need within the twenty first century.