Is using a payment process that takes in X (USD, Drachmas, Bitcoin, whatever) and puts USD in your account really the same as “accepting Bitcoin?” Maybe, I guess.
The deli down the street recently announced they accept credit cards. I’m not actually giving them a pile of plastic equal in worth to a sandwich. I’m still paying in dollars, just as I always have.
I think the bitcoin faithful are too hung up on the currency aspect. It’s not altogether bad as a payment network (apart from all the parts which are bad, harhar).
As much as credit card processors transparently handle currency exchanges for people traveling abroad… Money is money.
I agree that immediately exchanging back to USD is disingenuous to the adoption of BTC, but it’s a start. Until they can pay their bills with BTC, it has no value until returned to a usable currency.
Is using a payment process that takes in X (USD, Drachmas, Bitcoin, whatever) and puts USD in your account really the same as “accepting Bitcoin?” Maybe, I guess.
The deli down the street recently announced they accept credit cards. I’m not actually giving them a pile of plastic equal in worth to a sandwich. I’m still paying in dollars, just as I always have.
I think the bitcoin faithful are too hung up on the currency aspect. It’s not altogether bad as a payment network (apart from all the parts which are bad, harhar).
As much as credit card processors transparently handle currency exchanges for people traveling abroad… Money is money.
I agree that immediately exchanging back to USD is disingenuous to the adoption of BTC, but it’s a start. Until they can pay their bills with BTC, it has no value until returned to a usable currency.