We need to support Bitcoin merchants more! ✅️⚡️ \ stacker news ~bitcoin

We need to support Bitcoin merchants more! ✅️⚡️

1862 sats \ 66 comments \ @SatoshisSkeleton 15 Jul 2023 bitcoin

I recently went to the only Cafe around my city and area that accepts Bitcoin via LN. They happen to be a top end Cafe as well. Very good reputation and coffee.

And so at POS I say I'd like to pay with Bitcoin.

The cashier says, "Oh it's been a while, let me dust this off." As he powers up a tablet used to make the transaction.

Disappointing. What?! 😮‍💨

More of us need to make a *specific effort to support businesses accepting BTC and Lightning!

No need to feel guilty. But we all need to EMBODY adoption.

⚡️🙋‍♀️✅️⚡️🙋‍♀️✅️

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46 sats \ 1 reply \ @Craze 15 Jul 2023

I will get this to my store soon!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

YES this is the way!

21 sats \ 3 replies \ @birdeye21 15 Jul 2023

Patiently waiting for the day I see someone accepting bitcoin at the farmers markets i go to in the summer

510 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

This is my point, in part.

Waiting for this all to just magically happen won't do anything. You need to venture out of tou way to support LN and BTC accepting businesses. And promote them via word of mouth etc.

Bitcoin's longevity and success isn't a given.

It needs YOUR immediate help!

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @c137Heather 16 Jul 2023 freebie

My husband has a sign up at his Farmers Market booth saying we accept BTC. No takers so far.

637 sats \ 3 replies \ @Dash_1971 16 Jul 2023

It's more than that. If we want Bitcoin to succeed we need to build the circular economy. Anyone who holds Bitcoin and cares about it as a means of storing wealth, needs to be buying and selling things in Bitcoin. The fiat ramps will eventually be shut off or else KYCd to make them useless for free and sovereign people. If there you can't buy food, computer supplies, get a haircut, buy books, buy clothes, buy fuel in Bitcoin, then we all spent our time larping with magic internet money and our fiat overlords were right to laugh at and dismiss us. Bitcoin only has power / meaning when combined with a free market. Our goal must be to escape fiat as much as possible. To opt out of fiat as much as possible. Otherwise this movement is just a larp made possible due to a late stage fiat debt bubble and we are all going to get rekt.

205 sats \ 1 reply \ @elvismercury 16 Jul 2023

Agree. I've thought before about crusading for a "Take Ten" policy, which you can capture in two rules:

If you're a vendor, you give clients ten percent discount on jobs if they pay you in bitcoin; but that you do not just convert btc that you earn into fiat, rather, you stack it, or spend it on other services denominated in btc.
You try to get ten percent of your work invoiced in btc this way. If you wind up with more than ten percent of your work paid in btc, then you can convert the part greater than ten percent to fiat, in contrast with rule #1.

I figured this might be a reasonable compromise -- ten percent is non-trivial discount for work in the real world -- from the client side, if you're paying $4k for something, $400 savings is significant, and worth the trouble of downloading a Strike or Cash App wallet and funding it; from the vendor side, it's not so much that that leaving that $3600 in btc would kill you, probably, if it collectively added up to under ten percent of your billables.

Take Ten would incentivize the vendor to find places to spend btc, and it would incentivize clients to look for vendors who followed the "Take Ten" policy.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

I like it... keep working on it!

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Yes. More or less I agree.

We just need to use it. As much as possible. Go out of your way to use it and sell stuff for it.

611 sats \ 2 replies \ @JoeNakamoto 15 Jul 2023

Yeah it’s an important tool for adoption. Earn btc and spend it is my mantra.

Use it as money coz why the fuck wouldn’t i? 😂

For those in the fiat mines the formula of “buy, hodl, spend and replace” works just as well.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

💯

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @era_sed 15 Jul 2023

deleted by author

16 sats \ 1 reply \ @ChickenLady 16 Jul 2023

agreed. I went to the "Bitcoin Cafe" in the Denver area and they acted surprised and excited when I wanted to pay with lightning! Very good food, btw, for anyone in the area.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

💯

5 sats \ 0 replies \ @criptopanas 17 Jul 2023

100% agree with you.

There is no much point of having some brick and mortar business accepting BTC as a payment method if no one use it.

I know, its very hard to let go some SATS...but, we need to start using BTC as a payment method as well.

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @Hypnagog 16 Jul 2023

This is a great post. We spend tons of effort here telling businesses why they should accept lightning but no one ends up using it.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Agree. 100%.

Time to stop LARPing and use some Bitcoin on the Lightning Network periodically.

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @f6287b82CC84bcbd 16 Jul 2023

Already do. They are my priority businesses to support over the others.

Especially if i know they are not selling and either saving or circulating it with other bitcoin merchants

1 sat \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

We need more people like you! This is the way!

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @Peialto 16 Jul 2023 freebie

If we use LN frequently especially micropayments Bitcoin will be well adopted by many merchants. Let's do it⚡⚡⚡

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Yes!

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoincaragua 16 Jul 2023 freebie

Gresham's Law DOES NOT apply to #Bitcoin as it assumes that the currencies being compared are LEGAL currencies and not a free, competing and DECENTRALIZED currency!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Hope so. Things could get ugly

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoincaragua 15 Jul 2023 freebie

I accept at the beach kiosk here in Brazil. Bitbar P2Point in BTCMAP

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

💯⚡️🤙

2 sats \ 3 replies \ @BITC0IN 15 Jul 2023

it'll happen on it's on time table.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

Timetable?

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @BITC0IN 15 Jul 2023

probably after a few more bull cycles. merchants have to want Bitcoin and that requires more dispersal, exposure and a new generation that has grown up with Bitcoin.

Time.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

I think it'll happen much faster. And it CAN if we all push for this! Hence, the thesis of my post!!!! Cmon! This is revolution.

13 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 15 Jul

This post was featured on This Day in Stacker News.

1 sat \ 1 reply \ @beorange 15 Jul 2023

I agree. I do my part, but we definitely need more volume.

We should keep BTC map always at hand.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Yes 💯

1 sat \ 1 reply \ @03365d6a53 15 Jul 2023

Spending bitcoin is so important.

Don't encourage Central Bank Debt Currencies (yes, CBDCs already exist, we should avoiding using them wherever possible)

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

💯

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ealvar13 21 Mar

Agreed! We try to keep up with all the latest in bitcoin merchant adoption. Lately all the interest seems to be on the Defi / Layer 2 stuff and no one wants to talk bitcoin for business 😔

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DiracDelta 18 Jul 2023

Hey, sure, start here maybe? 😁

https://coldbed.com

https://getchroma.co

Both of these will change your life whenever you finally get it. Wealth is nothing if you are not healthy to enjoy it!

Run with BTCPayServer, no KYC 3rd party merchant app BS

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 17 Jul 2023

I agree that we need to do more to support merchants that accept bitcoin but I think most merchants need to do more to actually support bitcoiners.

I don't feel that merchants actually want bitcoin. This is especially true when the price is low. After the next halving, the price is likely to pump and drive new hysteria that naturally brings new merchant adoption but they don't/won't fully understand it or want it. They just see it as a way to get more fiat.

IMHO, until merchants are begging us to accept bitcoin, they don't actually want it as anything more than a means of marketing and until they want bitcoin MORE than they want fiat, they shouldn't expect bitcoiners to actually spend their precious sats at their businesses.

That being said, I sell some bitcoin t-shirts that help people to understand reasons to use bitcoin and I ONLY accept bitcoin. Here is a link to my shop: https://www.reasonstousebitcoin.com/shop/

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @iguano 16 Jul 2023

I would like to have more merchants near where I live

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @l0k18 16 Jul 2023

There is a butcher, of all things, who have been for some time accepting bitcoin where I live at the moment. I haven't been there yet, in 6 months, even though I get paid in bitcoin and I have aspirations of carnivore diet. From next month, if I can directly do bitcoin business, better than bitrefill to gift cards, and that's better than shitcoin casino to fiat bank.

I think it's good to acknowledge that even still, bitrefill to gift cards is still helping adoption and to the least extent, the shitcoin casinos and the fiat ponzi franchises... But if you can scan a LN invoice to pay them directly, well. WADDAYADOIN?

And don't forget - bitcoin is 24/7/365. Almost no downtime, except where networks all break down at the same time in an area.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Yes. Patronize them and pay directly! Circular economy!

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @earnbitcoin 16 Jul 2023

Ok, so you effectively are suggesting that I buy bitcoin so that I have it when comes the day that I get the urge help further bitcoin adoption. I then would patronize a shop that accepts bitcoin (or I orange pill a merchant so they accept bitcoin). At the same time, to follow your suggestion I would need to keep records of both transactions (my purchase of BTC, and when I spend the BTC) so that I can properly calculate my capital gains (or losses). And I do all that .... for what reason? So that your bags go up? Or .... why?

A bitcoin circular economy occurs organically when I receive my income in bitcoin. When that happens, I then would naturally prefer to spend in bitcoin (as why would I instead want to convert to fiat only to then spend that fiat?)

But why would I be paid in bitcoin? My employer knows nothing about it. I'm probably the first who would ask. But let's say my employer already accepts bitcoin as payment. They too have that same experience as me then ... if they can then in turn pay their suppliers and staff in bitcoin, they may wish to then keep some (or all) of their bitcoin revenue in bitcoin, rather than convert it to fiat to then only pay their expenses in fiat.

So how do I get my employer to end up with bitcoin in the first place, so as for them to be less hesitant to pay me in bitcoin? Well, I gotta orange pill my employer into accepting bitcoin. Then once they have a revenue stream in bitcoin then they will be more likely willing to pay me in bitcoin.

So you and I both are essentially saying the same thing ... go out of your way to further a circular bitcoin economy, but my reason for doing so is self-interest. I want my employer to accept bitcoin so that I in turn have a better chance at getting paid in bitcoin,

But just that my employer accepts bitcoin for payment doesn't mean anyone will pay them in bitcoin. So being a bitcoin enthusiast I might conclude that for my employer to find revenues in bitcoin, I need to step it up myself and first pay other merchants in bitcoin so that they too will be more willing to pay their suppliers and staff in bitcoin (which in turn, increases the likelihood that others will be paying my employer, in bitcoin).

In other words, for me to get paid in bitcoin, I need to pay others in bitcoin. Essentially, I need to pay it forward, but in bitcoin.

25 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

It all has to happen IMO. You're on the right track. If we all make a concerted effort to use it, then it gains momentum.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @cyberpunk02 16 Jul 2023

especially decentralised bitcoin only hivestores

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

What's a "hive store"? Never heard the term...

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cyberpunk02 16 Jul 2023

Yeah I just made it up, it’s a new thing only possible with bitcoin, lightning, interlocking multi party multisigs

0 sats \ 6 replies \ @PlebeiusG 16 Jul 2023

I don’t like lightning tbh. It’s too hard to figure out.

6 sats \ 5 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

I felt the same way too. It IS complex. But it's getting better...

100 sats \ 4 replies \ @PlebeiusG 16 Jul 2023

Yeah I’m playing with with Mutiny as a web app on my phone. Making me think REALLY hard about stopping all project and pivoting to PWAs. I’m not a fan of having very limited inbound liquidity that will require more fees, but it is getting better.

Mad respect for lightning ⚡️ engineers 👨‍💻

6 sats \ 3 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Totally. I think there's a lot of us wanting to move over to Bitcoin only jobs.

Why PWA? In a sentence or two? Why not just native apps like Phoenix?

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @PlebeiusG 16 Jul 2023

PWAs can appear to be a native app but are a saved website that is given OS access for things like local storage, push notifications and even allow for multiple copies of itself with different users. (Multiple mutiny wallets, for example) Also you get around centralized app stores. Damus had to recently remove the zap note feature because of a disagreement between @jb55 and Apple. If Damus was a PWA, then anyone could run it on nearly any platform and it could be updated without meeting any corporations rules for what your software is allowed to do.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

Ohhhh interesting. Thanks for the info. Wild.

I'm curious to know more about this. Interesting stuff.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @PlebeiusG 16 Jul 2023

Wild stuff. I use stacker news as a PWA and just got this notification. It’s been blowing my mind lately. It’s so simple maybe I’m just catching up to it and it’s old news for everyone.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @BitLocal 15 Jul 2023

Sorry to shill (is it possible to shill FOSS?) - BitLocal will help you find local merchants. It uses the BTC Map API, which gathers data from OpenStreetMap. If you want to contribute, check out BTCMap.org to add local businesses to the map.

You can download BitLocal at the link below (free, with no user data collection or revenue strategy). Just wanted to build something for the community. It’s new and is missing some obvious features, but more will come.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bitlocal-btc-friendly-shops/id6447485666

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 16 Jul 2023

I'm not an iPhone guy

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @2bithits 15 Jul 2023

Was it over lightning?

I agree!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

Yep

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @carlosfandango 15 Jul 2023

Agreed!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

💯

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @CoSatoshi 15 Jul 2023

Second that!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SatoshisSkeleton OP 15 Jul 2023

💯

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoincaragua 16 Jul 2023 freebie

Bitcoin without circulation and usability between people fostering the free market, will unfortunately be restricted to internet speculation magic money, while we will watch perplexed other networks tokenizing the fiat world.