Swiss rail operator to promote bitcoins at its price tag machines

ZURICH Switzerland's countrywide railways company SBB is branching out subsequent month with the launch of a brand new provider on its price ticket machines to sell bitcoins, the net-based virtual forex.

beginning Nov. eleven, customers could be able to alternate Swiss francs for bitcoins the use of the ticket machines in a -year test with the intention to test Switzerland's urge for food for the cryptocurrency, the nation-owned employer introduced on Friday.

"There have been few possibilities to achieve bitcoins in Switzerland till now," SBB said. "With its 1,000-plus price ticket machines, SBB operates a dense, around-the-clock distribution community that is perfect for greater than just price tag income."

SBB is working with Zug-based virtual bills company SweePay to permit customers to top up their virtual 'bitcoin pockets' bills with the aid of cell telephone. customers can trade anywhere between 20 and 500 Swiss francs ($20-503) per transaction.

SBB will act as distributor, whilst the exchange can be finished by way of SweePay and require customers to keep an account with a pockets provider that lets in garage of the digital forex.

Bitcoin is understood for permitting users to move money the world over speedy and relatively anonymously but, at the Swiss price ticket machines, customers won't be able you bought it with out a trace: clients will want to discover themselves the usage of a Swiss cellular telephone.

while bitcoins can be bought, they may not be time-honored as fee on the machines, that means price tag sales can be unaffected via modifications within the bitcoin alternate charge.