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Playboy Jumps on the Cryptocurrency Bandwagon

By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer
Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

    Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

    Playboy has a long history of leading the adult entertainment industry in new directions. Now, it’s leading the charge into cryptocurrencies.

    Playboy Enterprises announced Wednesday it was developing an online payment wallet that will support several crypto payment types, beginning with the Vice Industry token.

    Subscribers to Playboy.TV will be able to use the Vice token to view Playboy.Tv’s videos and other content. The wallet is expected to be available by the end of the year. Playboy Magazine, which recently featured actress Jane Seymour, will not yet be folded into the crypto wallet.

    “As the popularity of alternative payment methods continues to grow around the world, along with the reach of Playboy’s digital platforms, we felt it was important to give our 100 million monthly consumers increased payment flexibility,” said Reena Patel, chief operations officer of licensing and media at Playboy.

    The company eventually plans to allow crypto payments in its casual gaming, augmented reality, and virtual reality efforts, though it did not give a timeline for its integration there.

    While cryptocurrecny would seem perfectly suited for the adult entertainment industry, porn companies have been slow to embrace it. A few, including Wicked Pictures, flirted with the idea several years ago, but never followed through. Playboy’s plan and the launch of the Vice token, though, could encourage a wider acceptance of the digital currency.

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