Skilljar now offering users to accept Bitcoin payments for online courses

Seattle-based startup Skilljar announced today that customers using its platform to teach courses online can now accept payments in Bitcoin. Skilljar has partnered with Bitcoin payment processing company Stripe to offer the option to its clients.

According to a press release sent out this morning:

“Skilljar’s platform is used by hundreds of instructors who offer online education classes directly from their own websites. Topics range from yoga to computer programming.”

Now in addition to credit and debit cards and PayPal, “instructors using the online course platform are automatically enabled for Bitcoin Payments.”

Skilljar founders. (From left to right) Lead UX designer Doug Gradt, CEO Sandi Lin, and CTO Jason Stewart

Skilljar CEO and co-founder Sandi Lin attributed the move to the cryptocurrency to demand and simplicity.

She said:

“The decision to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment was simple. 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.”

So far clients seem to be showing enthusiasm to Skilljar’s decision. Danielle Gould, founder of Food+Tech Connect, which offers online courses via Skilljar’s platform, stated:

“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.”

Skilljar was founded in 2013 by three former Amazon employees. They raised $1.1 million in funding from Seattle and Bay Area angel investors after participating in TechStars Startup Accelerator.