Coming in May, Amazon Coins is a new virtual currency for purchasing apps, games, and in-app items on Kindle Fire.

By May, Kindle Fire users will be able to use "coins" for buying apps and games from the Amazon Appstore.

When Amazon Coins launches in the U.S. this May, Amazon will give customers tens of millions of dollars' worth of free Amazon Coins to spend on developers' apps on Kindle Fire in the Amazon Appstore. Amazon will also make it quick for its customers to buy additional Amazon Coins using their Amazon accounts.

Amazon Appstore developers will earn their standard 70 percent revenue share when customers make purchases using Amazon Coins. Developers with apps and games currently in the Amazon Appstore for the U.S. don't need to do anything with their apps to capitalize on this new opportunity. Developers not yet in the Amazon Appstore should submit their apps soon - only apps submitted and approved by April 25 will be ready when Kindle Fire customers have Amazon Coins to spend across the Amazon Appstore.