Bitcoin: Use Cases. Part 1
The ever-topical questions “How can I use my Bitcoin?” and “What can I buy with it?” have been around since the very start of the “Bitcoin era,” and they have grown in popularity alongside with the world’s most famous crypto. Today, Bitcoin holders are receiving more and more answers to these questions as more companies start to accept Bitcoin as a method of payment.
Bitcoin is becoming more liquid because it is now accepted at many online marketplaces, replacing fiat currencies. However, the idea is not welcomed across the board. There are still companies and entire industries that refuse to let Bitcoin in. But that hasn’t stopped numerous businesses from favoring changes and evolving with the world. The number of products and services now available in exchange for Bitcoin is growing regularly. This article compounds a list of things that can be bought with Bitcoin, but it is sure to expand soon.
What Can You Buy with Bitcoin?
Food 🍔
It still sounds strange, doesn’t it? Could anyone have imagined a few years ago that it would soon be possible to buy food with Bitcoin? To pay with Bitcoin at an Italian pizzeria, grocery store, or coffee shop? It’s closer to reality than ever as large food producers, supermarkets, and restaurants are giving Bitcoin the green light in pursuit of additional profits.
The pioneer in accepting Bitcoin in the food industry was the famous fast-food chain Burger King. It started to accept payments in the cryptocurrency from its individual customers and larger clients, such as big companies. In a range of countries, Burger King allows customers to pay for their orders and delivery in Bitcoin via its website.
The next to accept Bitcoin was KFC (another popular fast-food restaurant), which decided to try integrating Bitcoin payments by offering only one product for crypto. Now, it has expanded to a range of products sold for BTC.
Domino’s Pizza followed the example of its colleagues and started selling pizzas for Bitcoin. Now anyone possessing BTC can use it to pay for any pizza they want—with bacon or extra cheese, large or small. Domino’s Pizza accepts payment in crypto in its restaurant locations, as well as online—anything for a client wishing to pay with Bitcoin.
Fast food restaurants aren’t the only ones trying to keep up with the progress of digital urrencies. Vegetarians and healthy lifestyle addicts can use their Bitcoin to purchase fruit, vegetables, and other products as this part of the industry starts to accept crypto.
Restaurants all over the world are trying to keep up with modern tendencies and innovative technologies. Thus, some Chinese restaurants have already begun accepting Bitcoin as a payment for their products. Bakeries and cafés selling products for crypto can now be searched by location to find the closest one to the customer. Among the newbies in the field are products like cheese, cakes, Thai food, sauces, salads, oils, and seafood. The only thing that a potential customer has left is to find the closest shop or a restaurant and spend their once-considered non-liquid coins on a delicious dish or a cup of coffee.
Drinks ☕️
Practically everyone starts their day with a fresh cup of coffee. Coffee is one of the most popular drinks on the planet and a sacred daily ritual for millions of people. It would be strange if coffee shops missed out on the mainstream trend of accepting Bitcoin. Many haven’t missed that chance and have started offering payments in BTC not only for coffee but for other products and services, as well.
Coffee is not the only beverage available to Bitcoin holders. Energy drinks and alcohol haven’t fallen behind, and sellers are trying to establish contact with Bitcoin payment systems to sell drinks for digital assets. It all comes down to a reality where people can buy everything from baked bread to a bottle of wine and lots of other products with Bitcoin.
Clothes and Shoes 👕👟
If people can buy drinks and food with Bitcoin, it would be silly to assume that Bitcoin acceptance stops there. It is entering all human activities and areas of interest step by step, and its next step was into the clothing industry.
Can you imagine going to a clothing store, trying on different items, choosing the one, and walking right past the checkout counter because you have already paid for it with the almighty Bitcoin? Sounds too good to be true, right? But it’s not!
Many people can now find “Bitcoin Accepted Here” labels one their favorite clothing or shoe stores’ websites. Now it’s possible to buy an evening dress or your new favorite purse without reaching for a physical wallet because the payment will be processed via a digital wallet. Many online trading platforms accept payments in Bitcoin to attract additional customers and remain trendy.
What’s more surprising is that some online platforms have switched to Bitcoin payments entirely, meaning they do not accept fiat currency at all. Apart from that, some first-class and famous boutiques have declared integration with Bitcoin payment systems, allowing them to sell their products to modern crypto lovers who can just arrive at any such store and buy anything with a Bitcoin debit card.
Accessory manufacturers haven’t backed away from trendsetters, allowing them to purchase products like belts, hats, earrings, and other accessories with the popular digital asset. To draw attention from different layers of their target audiences, they offer products available for BTC based on the season or the company’s marketing strategy.
Luxury Cars 🚗
The car market is a complex industry with lots of nuances and issues to deal with. Selling cars, especially expensive ones, requires flexibility and a strategical approach. Car dealers are constantly looking for new distribution channels and fighting for clients. Today, when the option to pay with Bitcoin can become a reality, they simply didn’t have any other choice but to play by new rules.
The car market, including the part selling luxury cars, already accepted an untraditional payment method known as trade-ins. It’s a way of paying for a new product by giving an old product to the seller and paying the difference. Thus, car sellers accept customers’ old vehicles as a part-payment for a new one. It was a revolutionary innovation, but it has become a well-established way of distributing products. The same happened with Bitcoin.
A few high-cost car brands have integrated Bitcoin-based payment systems so that Bitcoin holders can use the coins to pay for cars. The first brand to accept Bitcoin was Rolls-Royce, which was soon followed by Mercedes-Benz, who tried to keep up with the trend and made a splash by starting to accept Bitcoin.
Economy Cars 🚙
High-cost cars aren’t the only ones that can be bought with crypto. Producers of economy cars have chosen to fight for clients by diversifying their accepted methods of payment. Now, Bitcoin lovers can leave their fiat savings for something else because a wide range of economy cars are available for purchase with Bitcoin.
The million-dollar question of whether to accept Bitcoin or not reached truck manufactures as well, and many of them agreed on the necessity of joining the Bitcoin movement. This idea was enthusiastically embraced by construction equipment companies and motorcycle manufacturers that are now offering their products in return for the world’s biggest crypto.
In a blink of an eye, aircraft producers also showed interest in joining the ranks of Bitcoin supporters. Then bicycles, scooters, and all other various types of transport were soon offered in exchange for Bitcoin. A large number of vehicle producers now support payments in Bitcoin, and it’s only a matter of time until Bitcoin wins over the market completely.
Electronic Devices 💻
The concept of making purchases is turned upside down each time a Bitcoin payment system is integrated with another store. Soon, we won’t need to take our wallets or even credit cards with us when we go shopping. Many of the items will be available for digital payment in Bitcoin. Companies producing electronic devices aren’t lagging behind, and they also favor payments in Bitcoin. It’s no surprise—technological progress is the reason why we have Bitcoin in the first place, so it would be strange if technological devices couldn’t be bought with it.
Electronic devices have invaded our lives to the extent where gadgets follow every step of our lives. Mobile phones and computers give us access to services that help us find the closest stores, hairdressers, or travel agencies, allow us to chat with friends, and enable us to pay for goods and services. Devices have taken on the burden of making our living way easier, so they are a very popular purchase that is now possible with Bitcoin.
Devices are sold for crypto both in retail stores and on online platforms, such as Overstock, which sells various types of electronics and equipment for Bitcoin. Overstock was a pioneer in selling gadgets for BTC, and the diversity of the goods sold can leave many crypto holders’ digital wallets empty.
Among the electronic goods that crypto lovers can buy are computers, mobile phones, speakers, portable chargers, cameras, and many other devices, including hardware and software. Whatever customers want, they can buy it with Bitcoin.
Computer Games 🕹
Millions of people like video and computer games and would love to buy them with Bitcoin. It’s possible to buy a game without leaving your house—everything is available online, and everything is automated. Gamers simply go to an online store or a platform where games are sold and buy them via electronic payments. Now, these stores accept payments in not only fiat but also Bitcoin.
Game developers also permit users to pay for games and subscriptions with Bitcoin. For example, Xbox and PlayStation are among the first and most popular video game developers to implement revolutionary changes and open up new markets by accepting Bitcoin, leading their competitors to do the same.
People can also buy games for mobile phones with Bitcoin via Zynga, one of a few online gaming marketplaces selling games-related goods and providing online playing services. All of that is now available for the currency of the future.
Other Online Services 🌐
Tons of companies that provide online services also want to keep up with the market and adopt payments in BTC. What’s more, both individual and corporate clients can make Bitcoin payments, regardless of the purchase. Companies can get hosting services, buy business-related software, conclude contracts with security companies, and pay for internet advertising, all in exchange for Bitcoin.
Bitcoin has become globally accessible and has gained liquidity. It has become mainstream and a mark of quality and creditability for companies that allow clients to pay with Bitcoin. Of course, these companies are usually big-budget ones or multinational corporations that can afford to run part of their turnover in crypto.
A few dating platforms were also spotted accepting the popular decentralized digital currency to pay for dating services, such as OkCupid. Such payments are processed via Bitcoin wallets based on large exchanges and are aimed at expanding the companies payment options. Some platforms like Reddit have only taken their first steps in joining the Bitcoin community by offering some services in exchange for Bitcoin.
Online publications and news subscriptions are also available for those who want to pay with Bitcoin. The world’s most famous news outlets, such as Bloomberg, are trying to stay tuned to the latest updates and are accepting payments in Bitcoin, as well.
Gift Cards 🎁
Millions of people buy gift cards and use them as a sign of affection or as a part of a gift. A few platforms haven’t managed to integrate Bitcoin payments yet have come up with the unusual idea of using gift cards as a mediator. Thus, Bitcoin holders can buy gift cards with Bitcoin and use these cards to pay for goods or services offered by platforms that don’t process Bitcoin payments. This universal payment method has brought online marketplaces and crypto holders much closer to one another.
People can present gift cards c to friends or relatives not only as a sign of affection but also as coupons carrying value that can be used to buy something. With such gift cards, crypto lovers can forget about withdrawal issues and use their digital assets to buy practically anything they want—some goods and services with Bitcoin directly, and some with gift cards. A few world-known platforms, such as Amazon, are already in and welcome card owners to make purchases.
To be continued.
This is so true. A whole lot of businesses are now accepting crypto in exchange for their goods and services. We've seen how crypto payment platforms are playing a critical role in making this possible. We can basically spend our crypto like the way we use FIAT. NOWPayments is such platform merchants could leverage to help take their businesses to another level.