• by Ray Schultz , August 17, 2017

ProtonMail, the Swiss-based email encryption provider, is offering a premium service that can be paid for with Bitcoin.

Starting with version 3.11 of ProtonMail, clients can now use Bitcoin to pay for their secure mail account. Users can test the option in beta. 

“We have designed the payment system to work seamlessly so Bitcoin payments are automatically converted to ProtonMail credits, which can be used to pay for upgrades, pay invoices, or top up your account,” the company says in its blog.

The development is “long overdue,” the firm notes.

ProtonMail now holds “a significant portion of our reserves in Bitcoin,” the blog says.

The reason: "Ultimately, we believe having a more significant portion of our revenue via Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies actually reduces our business risk. It provides more redundancy in the event of the failure of more traditional payment methods."

This belief in cyber currency goes back to ProtonMail’s own start.

“Back in 2014 when ProtonMail first launched, our first community fundraiser was infamously frozen by PayPal, leaving us without access to the funds necessary to run the service,” the blog states. “However, thanks to Bitcoin and the support of the Bitcoin community, we were able to continue to receive funds via Bitcoin, ensuring the success of the project.”

Bitcoin.com reports that "Protonmail details that if individuals want to keep their payment history out of sight from their banks, then Bitcoin is the best choice."

ProtonMail provides a free service in addition to its premium offerings. 

Bitcoin.com claims that ProtonMail’s servers are outside of U.S. and EU jurisdictions.