Hello everyone,

Our preregistration is now open. Please keep in mind; only 250 positions are available. This will not give you a spot in our beta program. Instead, you will be guaranteed a card during our release. We are doing this for several reasons:

1) Our card issuing will be slow in the beginning.
2) We would like to know where to focus our efforts and place ATM machines.
3) We would like to see how many merchants and card holders would use our services.

Best,
Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/

Hello Everyone,

  I'm Cameron Halter and the founder of Tradecoinz, LLC. I would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support they have shown so far. I have received hundreds of emails showing support for our platform and we are currently building business relationships as I write this. In the next week, we will be hosting a Q&A on Reddit and start preregistrations. Due to our manufacturing limits, it may be slow process getting this card out to everyone. Because of this; you have the opportunity to reserve yourself a spot August 6th (This doesn't include access to our Beta). If you are unaware about our company; feel free to visit our website at: https://ibtcard.com/

You can even read us in the news:
http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-debit-card-ibtcard-will-offer-lower-processing-fees-for-merchants/
http://www.pymnts.com/briefing-room/issuers/virtual-currency/2013/tradecoinz-brings-bitcoin-to-debit-cards/

  I would also like to say that several large processors have contacted us asking if we would have interest using their systems. I am keeping close communication with these companies, and we will announce when a partnership forms. Keep in mind, our advertised fees will not change. Our card will still be separated from services such as Visa or MasterCard. These processors will only help us integrate into current POS systems, ATMs, and process card transactions.

  Please note; we are still early in the development process and we are currently looking for funding to start this awesome service! In a few weeks, we will be starting an Indiegogo campaign to finish raising our goal of $500,000 dollars. In return, we will be offering beta access to our services and earn several other perks. Though this campaign is set to begin in late August, we are giving everyone the ability to go ahead and donate early:

You can send your donation here:  15PcTEfA2ajUhiE2AZcuocDkWPrStCbhjn

Our Indiegogo Campaign

1) Public thank you:
               Everyone who donates will be given a public thank you on our website. Whoever donates the most will be featured on our front page.
               Amount Available: Unlimited.
2) Exclusive Beta Access:
               Whoever donates 2 or more Bitcoins will get a public thank you and receive Beta access. You will have the ability to use or integrate    
               into your website a month before our initial release. Amount Available: 500
3) Save for Life:
               Those who donate 50 bitcoins or more will receive any fees half-off for life. You will also be given public recognition and receive Beta  
               access for our services.  Amount Available: 30

4) We will develop a $10,000 reward:
                When the campaign starts; contact us and we will send you an address for your donation if you'd like to pay in bitcoins. 
                Amount Available: 5

 Want to know where your money will be spent?
            1) Hardware; All of our services will be hosted on our own servers in our own rack. We need funding to help pay for server costs and
                data-center space. Furthermore, we will purchase several workstations for our office.
            2) Employees; We will be hiring 6 employees to finish development.
                          . Network/Linux Administrator (1)
                          . Financial Services Specialist (1)
                          . php developers (2)  
                          . Web designer (1)
                          . Core Banking Specialist (1)
            3) Office space; We are looking to rent a 1000 ft² office in downtown Atlanta.
            4) Additional Expenses

  Thank you all for the wonderful support! I am ready to push this company forward and I can't do it without you guys. If you guys have any questions at all, please contact us at support@ibtcard.com .

Also: Follow us on twitter for the latest updates https://twitter.com/ibtcard

Best,
Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/

We will not charge an exchange fee for our services and offer next-day bank deposits. Think of it this way: merchants won't accept Bitcoin unless more consumers begin to use them. It works the same way with distributors. Distributors won't accept Bitcoins until more merchants begin to accept it. Yes it won't happen anytime soon, but it sure is a start! The goal is to use existing technologies people are familiar with in-order to increase the use of bitcoin. If you are able to successfully increase its use; you will be able to increase its acceptance. So you are right on that, you cannot snap your fingers and get everyone to accept bitcoin. It will take devotion, time, and a lot of hard work to implement bitcoin. However, it sure is possible.

Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/

   That makes plenty of sense right now. However, that doesn't do any good for the Bitcoin economy. The purpose of this company is to get Bitcoins widely accepted and give merchants benefits by using our interchange network. If you want any sort of currency to work, you need to get it widely accepted. Currently, 50% of bitcoins are lying in dormant accounts. That's concerning. Converting bitcoin into fiat then using that fiat to purchase goods and services is not a logical thing to do.

   If you wanted a prepaid, you will need to pay a 5% fee and the merchant will still get hit with high processing fees. This service gives card holders the ability to not have to exchange their Bitcoins for fiat. This also gives merchants lower processing fees by using our interchange network. Yes, this card will take some time to integrate into POS systems and get it widely accepted. However, would merchants and yourself like to keep paying 9% in fees? We give users an easier way to access and use their bitcoins without a powered and internet connected device. Furthermore, our processing fees are lower than companies such as Visa or MasterCard. Even with services that trade bitcoin into fiat prepaid cards; such services can be shut down any time by Visa, MasterCard, Amex.

Best,
Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/

Thanks! We have added an option to register for a newsletter. Feel free to register when you have the chance 

Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/

No problem, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Cheers,
Cameron Halter

Most attacks now are Layer 7 DDOS attacks. They attack ports 80 and 443 to prevent access from authorized users. Mt.Gox used prolexic to mitigate the attack. There are different ways an attacker can DDOS a server...the best defense is to mitigate the attack. However, if the attacker is really nasty; they will attack the ISP the mitigation service buys bandwidth from. However,  this is worst case scenario and it would require more than 300 Gigabits worth of traffic.

Take a look at this:
http://blog.rivalhost.com/12-types-of-ddos-attacks-used-by-hackers/

And This:
https://mtgox.com/pdf/20130424_ddos_statement_and_faq.pdf

Best,
Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com/  

Hello,

It really depends on the services you are providing. If you have an API, you would want to protect that service from attack. Following the TCP/IP model, the application layer can become a large target (Zero-Day attacks, attacks on certain ports for services such as Apache). Keep in mind that DOS and DDOS attacks are 2 separate things. If the DDOS attack is large, you will see an impact in performance. One example involved Spamhaus that received a 300 Gigabit DDOS attack. Even with mitigation services, network routers were having trouble handling that much traffic. I suggest finding a good mitigation service to shield you from these attacks.

Some Mitigation Service Providers:
 . https://cloudflare.com/
 . http://www.prolexic.com/services-dos-and-ddos-mitigation.html
 . http://www.incapsula.com/ddos/ddos-mitigation-services

Even hosting providers are implementing these services. I would personally look into Cloudflare.

Best,
Cameron Halter
https://ibtcard.com

Currently, the plan is to work one on one with POS manufacturers to integrate our card with their systems. The merchant will not have to go through the trouble of integrating our product. At most, a simple software update will be needed to integrate our card.

I don't believe people love plastic. However, they do understand it. They understand that to make a purchase with plastic; all it takes is a swipe of a card. Furthermore, plastic (With OTP Authentication) gives users more security rather than storing all their bitcoins in a local wallet. This especially applies to people who aren't computer savvy. I also believe NFC is the next big thing (Also enabled in our cards).

The goal of this company is to reverse such a system. It doesn't make sense to have bitcoins exchanged for fiat into a prepaid visa or mastercard. For one, the companies that provide these services charge the consumer 4-5%. Secondly, the merchant will still be hit with a 3-4% processing fee. Our goal is to allow merchants to fully accept bitcoin for their goods and services. Using this card, consumers wont be hit with any sort of fee and merchants will be charged with something much lower (1-1.25%).
 

Hello Everyone,

I am pleased to announce that we are one step closer to releasing the iBTCARD. After one year of R&D; we are ready to release more details.

We have partnered with NagraID Security to help produce our check cards. NagraID is the world leader in display card manufacturing and we are highly satisfied with their products. Furthermore, they have worked with Visa and MasterCard to produce some of the worlds securest check cards. Secondly, I am glad to announce our core banking platform is nearing completion. We have developed a platform that allows consumers and merchants to easily transfer, secure, and use Bitcoins:

. For merchants, they will have the ability to download and install plugins/modules for their CMS. Also, merchants will be able to automatically charge monthly fees for goods/services. Furthermore, they will also be given access to a RESTful api. Allowing merchants to easily integrate our card into web applications. Merchants will also be able to integrate our card with their existing Point of Sale system (This will take some time. We are currently in talks with several POS manufacturers to integrate our card).  

. For developers, we will be releasing both a Java and IOS library. This will allow them to add our services into their Android and iPhone applications. This is in the future stages of development, however, it is on our road-map.

. For consumers, we have developed a wonderful banking platform that will allow them to easily use Bitcoins. We will also release several ATMs in 5 major cities. Allowing consumers to make cash deposits/withdraws into/out of their accounts. Most transactions will occur using our OTP authentication method. This ensures that the transaction is only made by the account holder. Furthermore, we have a secure method in-place that will allow users to report lost/stolen cards.

In the next couple of weeks we will begin crowd-funding to help expedite our development phase. In return, we will be giving our cards to 5,000 Beta users who are willing to donate $50 or more. I would like to thank the Bitcoin community for the awesome support. As the owner and CEO of Tradecoinz, my passion is to help expand Bitcoin and I couldn't do it without you! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Best,
Cameron Halter
Tradecoinz, LLC
https://ibtcard.com/
cameron.halter@ibtcard.com

Sneak Peak (As you can see, we are still working on some things)

Sorry for the delay guys, I have been busy this summer working on the framework for the back-end and figured this post wouldn't gain much attention. I figured I will answer most of the questions:


We were looking to release in Mid to late August. However, we have been running into problems with storing OTP keys. We are currently working with 10 beaglebones that act like HSMs (They have been encased in epoxy with tamper sensors) that will sign hot wallet bitcoin transactions to a certain amount. This only happens after several security checks have been made - Including OTP verification by the use of your iBTCARD. (Those OTP keys will also be stored on separate beaglebones.) If the amount is surpassed or an abnormal amount of transactions occur using the same OTP Key; an employee will manually oversee the transaction and verify it's legitimacy. Simply put: A hacker will have to go through several layers of security to transfer bitcoins out of a hot-wallet.  

To further security, we are looking into purchasing our own server equipment and renting space in a local data-center. (To prevent any sort of inside job)


In regards to FinCEN, we will file as a Money Services Business. I believe it will be in the best interest of the company to follow the laws of the land. We will have policies in place to prevent theft/money laundering, and we will report those suspected to the authorities. I don't understand why some people think that is a big problem; just don't steal or launder money.


We are looking into other options than paypal. We have contacted paypal, and they weren't too happy about it. However, we are looking into other options. Our current plan is to release our card in conjunction with several Bitcoin ATM's located around a city. Because of this, we plan to slowly release this card. I believe this will be the best route; allowing us to deploy 10-20 ATMs in a city before its release. Furthermore, we will do something similar to what Google did with Google Fiber. The city with the most preregistrations will be given highest priority.

To wrap everything up, I am counting on a future where "Bitcoin Banks" provide a higher amount of security. In my opinion, the number one thing limiting bitcoin is the fact that it's being used as a trading platform. It is essential to develop new technologies, however, it is even more important to integrate with technologies that currently exist. If you do so, more companies would be willing to accept Bitcoin in their business. To add on to that; If you truly want this currency to succeed, you need an organization that's willing to promote policies and certify companies that are implementing good security.

P.S. We are always looking for experienced investors and developers. Feel free to PM me if you have any sort of interest for the project.

Best,
Cameron Halter
http://ibtcard.com/
Tradecoinz, LLC

Hey Everyone,

We are trying to get several ideas/suggestions from the community. If possible, please give us some answers from the questions below.
The basis of our company is to provide an easy way to make Bitcoin transactions for eCommerce and B&M stores.
http://ibtcard.com/

The Problems

People who aren't tech savvy don't want to participate in an 8 step process to purchase products using Bitcoin. Furthermore, nobody wants to look like an idiot holding up a long line. The requirements to make a Bitcoin transaction are also a limiting factor:

. A charged cell phone
. An active internet connection
. Lots of Patience

Our Solution

   Our company would like to develop the first true Bitcoin debit card. Check cards do not need a cell phone or an active internet connection. This makes transactions involving Bitcoins quicker and simpler than other services that currently exist. Furthermore, Bitcoin allows us to keep our processing fees lower than other card providers.

   Like many other card companies, we would like to develop the channels allowing merchants, banks, and exchanges to accept our cards. However, Due to the lack of services (Mostly banks), we plan to develop both merchant and consumer solutions:

. For merchants, we will process transactions and allow them to have daily ACH transfers to and from their bank account. Furthermore, we would like to integrate our card with popular POS systems.
. Many people don't understand how to obtain wallets - Let alone how to protect them. This is why our consumer solutions will allow users to obtain Bitcoins and secure them on our servers (Preventing wallet loss and theft). In the future, we hope "Bitcoin Banks" will take up this role to specialize in protecting and storing Bitcoins (While they integrate our cards). To secure our services, our cards will feature OTP event-based authentication. This requires a different pin every transaction. This prevents unauthorized transactions and account logins. 

Our Dream

   Our main goal is to shift Bitcoin from a trading platform to a stable currency. We believe this business will increase Bitcoin stability, promote Bitcoin use, and expand its acceptance. 

About Us

   This company started out as an online retailer. We later decided we decided to develop technologies that make transactions easier between consumers and merchants.

What we want to know

1) Would this be a product you would use? If not, please explain.
2) As a merchant, would you be willing to integrate our services?
3) If you operate a B&M store; would you be willing to integrate our card with your POS system?
4) Do you have any questions or concerns that you would like to address?

Cheers,
Cameron Halter
Tradecoinz, LLC
http://ibtcard.com/
2625 Piedmont Rd NE Ste.56-401
Atlanta, GA 30324

We have reviewed our online prices. We have noticed some items are much higher than normal. We will begin adjusting prices at 12 PM EST. Please do not place any orders till the prices have been adjusted.

I would like announce that tradecoinz.com is now operational. You may begin to buy products with your bitcoins. However, items are limited and will continue to be limited till we are able to get warehouse space. If you have any questions, PM me or send an email to support@tradecoinz.com  

*We are also going to be doubling inventory in the next couple of days. Furthermore, expect much more products in the xbox 360 section. We will also be selling computer parts in the near future. I would also like to note that shipping and tax is also applied as the total cost.

I would like to note that shipping and tax is included in the product price. Sorry, we cant avoid the irs 

With shipping and tax yes.

I would like announce that tradecoinz.com is now operational. You may begin to buy products with your bitcoins. However, items our limited and will continue to be limited till we are able to get warehouse space. If you have any questions, PM me or send an email to support@tradecoinz.com  

*We are also going to be doubling inventory in the next couple of days. Furthermore, expect much more products in the xbox 360 section. We will also be selling computer parts in the near future.

We are mostly selling electronics, video games, and computer parts. We are currently in contact with distributors for sony and activision products. We are going to be accepting bitcoins for MW3 preorders. As well as the playstation vita.

Back to my point, we are a business legally operated in Atlanta, Ga. We also want to be the first to sell great unused products on the web (on a large scale). Not only will this be great for the people with bitcoins, but for the people who want to invest in bitcoins as well.

Investors are out of the question and we need the community's help. 
 

Still, we aren't expecting massive amounts of people using the site at a time...If it gets to that point, we would definitely migrate again. (Hell, it would be great if that happens )