Proton Snaps Back at Ethereum with BTC Payment Preference

Ethereum's X account recently faced a fact-check from ZachXBT, a well-known investigator in the crypto space. He pointed out that Proton, a Swiss company behind encrypted email service Proton Mail and VPN, only accepts Bitcoin (BTC) for subscriptions, not Ethereum (ETH).

ZachXBT backed up his claim with a screenshot of Proton's support documentation, which shows that users can pay for any subscription with Bitcoin at checkout. The process involves selecting Bitcoin, scanning a QR code or copying the $BTC address, and waiting for network confirmations, which can take up to 24 hours.

Proton also has its own self-custodial bitcoin storage solution called Proton Wallet, launched in 2024, which is exclusive to BTC with no support for ether or ERC-20 tokens. This detail further supports ZachXBT's correction.

The correction landed at a sensitive time for Ethereum's public positioning, given the recent exodus of talent from the parent entity and its formal privacy commitment last year. The Ethereum Foundation has prioritized payments adoption in its 2026 execution plans, making ZachXBT's point that Proton, a prominent privacy-technology brand, routes its money over the rival chain all the more relevant.