Thabiti Stephens
Bitcoin
Black Friday (formerly known as Bitcoin Friday) announced today a partnership
with Fight for the Future, a digital rights advocacy group best known
organizing the first massive protests against SOPA in 2011. Fight for the
Future will be providing Bitcoin Black Friday with resources, viral organizing
knowledge, and grassroots experience. Through this partnership, Bitcoin Black
Friday aims to appeal not only to Bitcoiners, but to any internet user looking
for a better way to pay for goods online.
“Before
Bitcoin Friday, in early 2012, people were wondering whether Bitcoin could even
exist as a currency, whether people would ever spend their hoarded bitcoins.”
The founder of Bitcoin Friday, Jon Holmquist, remarks, ”Last year’s wildly
successful event alleviated those fears.” The idea is simple: Bitcoin merchants
opt-in for a free listing on the site and list their ‘deal’ that is only
redeemable during Bitcoin Friday. Last year’s deals were wide-ranging from 20%
off a WIKISPEED car to 25% off VPN services. Participating merchants saw
anywhere from 2x as many sales to some merchants having their best single day
of sales ever. BitPay, the largest Bitcoin payment processor, recorded their
largest amount of orders placed in a single day during Bitcoin Friday, and
other Bitcoin payment processors universally reported similarly high results.
About 500 bitcoin-accepting merchants are
going to be participating.New this year for Bitcoin Black Friday is a charity
section. If Bitcoin consumers have a few bitcents in their wallets after their
shopping sprees, they can donate directly to one of the many charities and
nonprofits accepting bitcoin, such as the Internet freedom group Fight for the
Future or Sean’s Outpost.
Bitcoin
Black Friday is not only online. The digital currency Bitcoin is gaining an
increasing amount of ‘meatspace’ businesses. To celebrate Bitcoin
brick-and-mortar merchants, Bitcoin Black Friday Parties will be occurring
around the globe at locations that accept bitcoin payments in person. In
Berlin, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and in other major cities, these
parties will bring Bitcoiners in the community together, to bond over cocktails
and love of cryptocurrency.
Over the
last year, Bitcoin has risen in value, popularity, and adoption. The growth of
Bitcoin is being tracked by the massive growth in merchant adoption. Last
year’s event drew in about 75 merchants. This year’s event will pull in more
than 500. More and more people around the world are turning to bitcoin as an
exciting, secure, and innovative online currency. Bitcoin Black Friday will
help rally the growing bitcoin community and help merchants connect to a new
vibrant and global market.
Bitcoin Black friday seems interesting to me because the adaptability to sell online in stores and so much more.
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