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Microsoft no longer takes Bitcoins in its Windows app store (update)

You'll have to buy your apps using conventional money.

Billy H.C. Kwok/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Microsoft's grand experiment in accepting Bitcoins as payment hasn't panned out, it seems. The company has quietly updated its FAQ to reveal that it no longer accepts the digital currency in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 devices. You can use an existing balance to buy your apps, but you can't supply more Bitcoins or get a refund. Like it or not, you'll have to use conventional money from now on.

The company hasn't explained the surprise cutoff, and we've reached out to get more details -- does this affect Xbox users, for example? However, it may simply be a matter of getting a solid return on investment. Bitcoin is still something of a niche payment method despite its increasing legitimacy, and some of its long-term supporters are losing faith. Microsoft may have decided that there weren't enough people buying with virtual cash to justify maintaining the necessary code.

Update: Microsoft now says that FAQ update was in error, so your Bitcoin should still work in the Windows Store.