PayPal , the US giant of digital payment services, has entered the cryptocurrency market , announcing that its customers will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin and other virtual currencies using their PayPal accounts.

With those virtual currencies they will then be able to purchase goods and services from the 26 million sellers who accept the PayPal payment service.

The US company plans to start purchasing operations in the US in the coming weeks and allow them globally early next year. "This is the first time that cryptocurrencies can be safely used in the same way as a credit or debit card within the PayPal wallet," CEO Dan Schulman said before the official announcement.

Bitcoin therefore began to rise again , hitting a maximum of $ 59,260 , immediately after the announcement of PayPal . The Bitcoin price record stands above $ 61,000 .