MLS Earthquakes President Dave Kaval said that the team will "be accepting bitcoin with the upcoming soccer season," according to Kyt Dotson of SILICONANGLE.com. Fans "can expect to use the virtual currency for anything from the merchandise store as well as tickets to see games." Kaval said, "We hope to create a really seamless experience." Dotson reported Bitcoin is "planned for merch and tickets and possibly even concessions, if a POS system can be worked out and launched in time for fans." Payment processor Bitpay "will be the Quakes’ payment gateway." Kaval said that choosing Bitpay "came down to professionalism and a good product." He added, "We took our time and did our research and they seemed like the organization with the most robust solutions." The Earthquakes also "have a brand new stadium opening" in '15, which will lay a "foundation for using new technologies including Big Data technology." The Earthquakes are "the second professional sports team to take bitcoin as a payment option," after the NBA Kings began accepting the currency March 1 (SILICONANGLE.com, 4/2).
