Circle adds NFC support to bitcoin app

Bitcoin specialist Circle has added support for contactless mobile payments to its Android app, enabling crypto-currency enthusiasts to make instore purchases with a wave of their phone.

Circle is enabling NFC support for bitcoin

The move follows BitPay launching an NFC POS app for merchants, which Circle says means that thousands of high street locations around the world will support its new feature.

NFC payment technology is expected to have a breakthrough year in 2015, with transaction volumes predicted to triple to $72 billion, as contactless cards become ubiquitous and the likes of Apple Pay push mobile adoption.

Circle opened for business in late 2014. With $26 million in funding behind it, it is aiming to take bitcoin to the masses with its free platform for buying, storing and paying with the crypto-currency.