More Attempts to Bring E-Commerce to World’s Two Billion Unbanked

Taking e-commerce to the unbanked seems to be getting easier as the number of merchants embracing cryptocurrencies is increasing. From Overstock to Steam, Newegg to Edeka, many merchants are changing buyers’ user experience globally by leveraging the ease-of-use of digital currency.

This is partially fueled by an increase in the number of vendors registering with BitPay. That service allows merchants to accept Bitcoin but immediately be credited with cash rather than having to deal with the volatile digital currency themselves.

Things are improving on the consumer side too, with the increasing number of crypto-based debit cards. These make it possible to spend digital currency in the virtual shops of merchants who don’t directly accept it, by automatically converting a user’s cryptocurrency balance to fiat and using that to pay vendors.

In this environment, there are startups seeking to make things even easier and cheaper, eliminating as many middlemen as possible from digital currency transactions. So far, the introduction of crypto-backed debit cards has been pioneered by companies such as TenX and Monaco and it has changed several new users’ perspective about how easy to access digital currencies for everyday use.

More Attempts to Bring E-Commerce to World’s Two Billion Unbanked

Both Monaco and TenX make crypto spending easier for customers by offering a multi-currency debit card. Instead of a Bitcoin debit card, a Dash debit card, and so forth, both Monaco and TenX allow users to deposit various cryptocurrencies and access them with one single debit card. When it comes time to make a purchase, the <Read More>

How Bitcoin Rescued Victims of Hurricane Harvey

The International Cherch of Blerk, a registered crypto-based 501(c)(3), and recognized religion, is revolutionizing peer to peer charitable works. They are using crypto currency to target aid where it’s needed most.

Hurricane Harvey

After Huricane Harvey struck South Texas, Cherch of Blerk Executive Director Jason Seibert, along with Blerk Medical Director, Dr. Rhiana Ireland, loaded up a truck with a chainsaw, generator, fuel, water and coffee and drove as far into the storm as they could. They finally arrived in Bay City, Texas in the heart of hard-hit Matagorda County after dodging tornadoes and plowing through pouring rain.

In the following days, Seibert and Ireland coordinated the creation of several shelters in the Galveston County area.

Dr. Ireland was recognized nationally for her life saving efforts in JEMS (the Journal of Emergency Medicine). Seibert implemented infectious disease control protocols in food service and meal plans, ran a makeshift kitchen, and produced nearly 12,000 meals for four shelters. Blerk ran all the efforts, advising local officials on how to proceed and how to create new shelters. Blerk even ran medical supplies between shelters as the Red Cross was nowhere to be found.

Bitcoin to the rescue

While running supplies, Blerk’s trucks died. With only a few hours’ notice, Blerk found a truck on the north side of Houston, however, wire transfer of funds was not possible due to the limitations of banks and the time of day. Relying on banks would mean that Blerk would have no transportation for five days..

Jason Seibert contacted Robert Gonzalez, founder of the over the counter (OTC) trading company UTXO, LLC. Gonzalez collaborated with Jesse Wilkinson, a well-known OTC trader in Dallas/Fort Worth area, for a solution. Jason liquidated personal crypto assets <Read More>