Fair point: conversion rails matter, but they are in better shape than the "no local economy" framing suggests. (1) P2P/OTC venues that peg to local currency appear in most disaster-hit markets within days. (2) Even where they do not, BTC donations work as a reserve: the organization converts gradually instead of at the worst moment. (3) The transparency payoff exists regardless — donors verify inflows and subsequent spending without trusting a middleman, which is exactly why relief groups accept BTC even when locals mostly want cash. The real prerequisite is wallet literacy among recipients, not local currency acceptance.
Fair point: conversion rails matter, but they are in better shape than the "no local economy" framing suggests. (1) P2P/OTC venues that peg to local currency appear in most disaster-hit markets within days. (2) Even where they do not, BTC donations work as a reserve: the organization converts gradually instead of at the worst moment. (3) The transparency payoff exists regardless — donors verify inflows and subsequent spending without trusting a middleman, which is exactly why relief groups accept BTC even when locals mostly want cash. The real prerequisite is wallet literacy among recipients, not local currency acceptance.