BloodCoins and BloodBanker.org, the Bitcoin of Blood?

[casascius]

I just did a Google search for "buy bitcoin" and noticed an interesting looking sponsored ad for "BloodBanker.org":

Ads related to buy bitcoin
BitCoin of Blood Supply. - How blood shortages are stopped.
www.bloodbanker.org
Sustainable peer-to-peer currency.
Request an Invite - How it Works - Login - About

The site goes on to introduce some novel concept about how you can donate blood, and get "BloodCoins" which you can use later if you need blood.  Their home page says they're a 501(c)3 charity that accepts donations.

The site seems to use the concept of Bitcoin as a marketing tool, and has nothing to do with Bitcoin, block chains, or any technology related.  "BloodCoins" are probably nothing more than entries in their database.

But interestingly, they accept donations via PayPal and not Bitcoin.  Surely this must be because they haven't set themselves up with a provider like BitPay yet, and not because they are not convinced of the merits of sustainable peer-to-peer currency!

[Yuhfhrh]

Lol? 

[kiba]

Maybe they're a scam.

[greyhawk]

Maybe they're a scam.

What are they gonna do? Sell my blood to vampires?

[misterbigg]

Wow!! Great lulz here.

Hard to imagine what someone will think when they go searching for Bitcoin but instead are presented with an opportunity to receive an I.O.U. payable in blood?

[paybitcoin]

This is exactly the sort of thing that trademark law is supposed to prevent... 

[repentance]

So it's pretty much just a private blood bank.

This is exactly the sort of thing that trademark law is supposed to prevent...

You're going to have a hard time enforcing any kind of trademark to prevent an organisation using "xxx coins".   

[paybitcoin]

So it's pretty much just a private blood bank.

This is exactly the sort of thing that trademark law is supposed to prevent...

You're going to have a hard time enforcing any kind of trademark to prevent an organisation using "xxx coins".   

In their ad it is called the "BitCoin of Blood Supply". This looks like intention to deceive users that they are somehow associated with Bitcoin, especially when they are advertising under google searches for "buy bitcoin". Like if you make a fast scooter and advertise as the "Ferrari of Electric Scooters" in a google ad for "buy ferrari", you would probably get a call from Ferrari's lawyers.

Not that I personally mind them using it, however I find it very interesting that they choose to introduce their service by mentioning it in relation to Bitcoin, rather than some other fundamentals (peer to peer currency, nonprofit registry, etc.)

I guess Bitcoin is mainstream now? 

[repentance]

I guess Bitcoin is mainstream now? 

I wouldn't exactly call the idea of a blood bank from which you can only obtain blood if you donate "mainstream".  It's interesting that not one of their board members is a health professional.  Their claim that blood bank shortages are in any way related to "worldwide economic stability" is also rather dubious.

[Adrian-x]

Are there other ways to mine Bloodcoins, can you buy multiple blood miners? 

[Monster Tent]

Wouldnt it be great if you could earn bitcoins by donating blood....or "other" bodily fluids 

[casascius]

Wouldnt it be great if you could earn bitcoins by donating blood....or "other" bodily fluids 

You already can, there's PPCoins.

[gabbergabe]

pp coins eh?