Show Posts
EDIT: This thread is intended for brainstorming about new ways to do Physical bitcoins. I've started a separate thread for questions about http://www.TitanBtc.com in the Marketplace section.
--
Physical bitcoins are absolutely the BEST way to introduce people to the concept of bitcoins. I've personally recruited dozens, if not hundreds, of people to the bitcoin community and by far the most effective tool in winning someone over is simply handing them a physical coin. There's just no replacement for feeling the weight of bitcoin in your hand.
However, after years of UI/UX design for web and product launches, I know that there's no such thing as "too simple". People need to be led gently down a path to understanding and the current generation of physical bitcoins isn't quite cutting it. Physical bitcoins, both paper and coin, have the potential to be much more than novelty or collectible. To realize that potential, I'm convinced that this community needs to have physical bitcoins that:
1. Look and feel like real currency
2. Have ZERO barriers to entry for newcomers
3. Require ZERO pre-existing knowledge of bitcoins to acquire, use and enjoy, and
4. Are inherently secure and impossible to counterfeit. (Physical theft is always a danger, but that's a separate conversation.)
5. Seamlessly convert to bitcoins in your wallet with a minimum of technical knowledge required.
It's a tall order, but it's an important one to fill. Physical bitcoins serve as a valuable extension to cryptocurrencies and they're a vital bridge to the many people who have yet to embrace the idea of bitcoins. Effectively reaching this group may allow cryptocurrencies to cross the chasm that exists between early adopters and the mainstream user. If you have investments in bitcoin, this jump to the mainstream is what reduces risk and increases the return on your investment. If you believe in the principals behind bitcoin, this jump to the mainstream is what opens people's eyes and brings about real, revolutionary change in our financial system.
Doug Feigelson, Mike Caldwell, Rob Kohr and others have shown us what is possible. Thank you sincerely. Let's build on their contributions and move forward. What's next? What does this next generation of physical bitcoins look like and how is it technically executed? I'm looking for feedback from this community and I'm also looking people that are ready to design it and build it as I'm putting my personal/business resources behind this project.
--
Physical bitcoins are absolutely the BEST way to introduce people to the concept of bitcoins. I've personally recruited dozens, if not hundreds, of people to the bitcoin community and by far the most effective tool in winning someone over is simply handing them a physical coin. There's just no replacement for feeling the weight of bitcoin in your hand.
However, after years of UI/UX design for web and product launches, I know that there's no such thing as "too simple". People need to be led gently down a path to understanding and the current generation of physical bitcoins isn't quite cutting it. Physical bitcoins, both paper and coin, have the potential to be much more than novelty or collectible. To realize that potential, I'm convinced that this community needs to have physical bitcoins that:
1. Look and feel like real currency
2. Have ZERO barriers to entry for newcomers
3. Require ZERO pre-existing knowledge of bitcoins to acquire, use and enjoy, and
4. Are inherently secure and impossible to counterfeit. (Physical theft is always a danger, but that's a separate conversation.)
5. Seamlessly convert to bitcoins in your wallet with a minimum of technical knowledge required.
It's a tall order, but it's an important one to fill. Physical bitcoins serve as a valuable extension to cryptocurrencies and they're a vital bridge to the many people who have yet to embrace the idea of bitcoins. Effectively reaching this group may allow cryptocurrencies to cross the chasm that exists between early adopters and the mainstream user. If you have investments in bitcoin, this jump to the mainstream is what reduces risk and increases the return on your investment. If you believe in the principals behind bitcoin, this jump to the mainstream is what opens people's eyes and brings about real, revolutionary change in our financial system.
Doug Feigelson, Mike Caldwell, Rob Kohr and others have shown us what is possible. Thank you sincerely. Let's build on their contributions and move forward. What's next? What does this next generation of physical bitcoins look like and how is it technically executed? I'm looking for feedback from this community and I'm also looking people that are ready to design it and build it as I'm putting my personal/business resources behind this project.
Let me ask you something. Do we have anything other than our computers that physically represents the internet that people can hold onto? No. Yet even though when the internet was new people eventually adapted to it, the same thing will happen to bitcoin as it becomes widely used, everyone already has the tools to use; their smartphone, now they just have to take the next step if they choose to...
