EBay's Braintree Likely to Accept Bitcoin

EBay is in talks to accept Bitcoin in one of its payment units, a move that industrial experts believe could boost the digital currency.

The company, which offers consumer-to-consumer sales services, has been quietly working to bring Bitcoin into its Braintree payments subsidiary, the Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter.

Braintree, as part of eBay's PayPal unit, provides a multi-language payment platform to clients that include many online and mobile companies.

PayPal officials have met several companies that facilitate Bitcoin transactions, including Coinbase, according to the Wall Street Journal. But an agreement is yet to be reached.

"We do believe that Bitcoin will play an important role in payments in the future, but we have nothing to announce," eBay spokeswoman Jennifer Hakes said.

The deal, if made, could provide a boost to the virtual currency which its supporters believe can someday displace cash or credit cards in many cases.

Bitcoin is created by computers solving complex math problems. once created, Bitcoin can be traded on currency exchanges or used as money to purchase goods and services from merchants that accept it, according to the Wall Street Journal.