WB21 is the First Digital Bank Accepting
Bitcoin Deposits
June 14th, 2016 – Today, digital bank WB21 announced that it has added bitcoin as a method for
its customers to transfer and deposit funds to their checking accounts. For WB21´s over 650,000
customers, this means they can send bitcoin to make real time account deposits in any of the 18
currencies that WB21 is offering.
WB21's founder and CEO Michael Gastauer explained the company's reasons for adopting bitcoin
payments: “A bank accepting bitcoin is quite unusual, however it makes total sense for us and
provides huge benefits to our clients. We are offering instant account opening in 180 countries.
The problem some of our clients face is to make deposits if we don't maintain a local account in
their country. By accepting bitcoin, our customers can instantly transfer funds to their WB21
account from any country in the world. As soon as they send bitcoin to our address, we credit the
value in the currency the customer has selected to their checking account. The funds are instantly
available on the account and can be sent out by wire transfers or spent with a WB21 Debit Card.
The process to convert bitcoin into cash on a bank account is the fastest I am aware of. For us the
acceptance of Bitcoin is a great way to support our global roll-out and improve customers fund
depositing experience.”
To guarantee the highest industry standards, WB21 is using BitPay, the industry's first and most
experienced bitcoin payment processor.
“WB21 is paving the way for some exciting changes in online banking, and their decision to accept
bitcoin is a great example of how innovation is changing the finance sector," said BitPay's Chief
Commercial Officer Sonny Singh. "Consumers with bitcoin don't have to be limited by the country
by country limitations of legacy payments – and now WB21 will allow them greater flexibility for
making payments in up to 18 different currencies."
