I'm developing a multi-cryptocurrency, multi-wallet, multi-platform application (
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=405374.0) and thought it might be interesting to develop this idea as well:
Payment Address Look Up Service
The idea is to have a service for people to register their payment address, and be connected via social networks (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc.) The information will be stored in a database and available via an API.
Clients (such as a wallet apps) can look up the database and find the person who registered and publicized their payment address. This could allow situations when providing an address via email/message or displaying a QR code is not convenient or fast. For example:
- When friends are talking on the phone. The payor can simply look up look up (via an app) on social networks and retrieve the payment address.
- When merchants are providing support on the phone. Staff can direct customer to search the service for the official payment address.
- Any other situation when the recipient is lazy to tell the other party his/her address or just don't have it offhand, and can simply say "oh, you can find my payment address on this service by searching my name or through our social network connection..."
Further, if I were to engage into developing this service, it would not only be for Bitcoin, but for alternative coins as well.
I think payment address for individuals and businesses should have a central look up service. What do you think? Do you think such a service would be useful?