SMS based bitcoin wallet for the developing world

[supster]

Hi everyone!

I am trying to start a company where we provide a SMS based bitcoin wallet service for the developing world. I think this could have a large impact on banking and international money transfers in the emerging markets (only 30 out of 190 countries currently have a modern banking system). There is already precedent like this in Kenya, where Kenyans use M-PESA to make payments using their mobile phones (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11793290).

I have found two APIs we could initially use to make our lives easier:
1) Twilio.com - API for handling SMS (https://www.twilio.com/docs)
2) Coinbase.com - API for handling BitCoin transactions (https://coinbase.com/docs/api/overview)

So I am looking for a backend developer to help connect these two APIs in exchange for equity.

The way this service would work is that we would have a public number 800-###-####

1) someone would text us: "hi"
2) the reply: "Hi! what would you like to do today? 1. Login to existing account 2. Create an account 0. Talk to Support"
3) reply: "2"
4) reply: "Welcome back! Please enter your pin:"
4) reply: "password"
5) reply: "What would you like to do today? 1. View your balance 2. Send money 3. Request money 4. Deposit money from local currency 5. Withdraw money to local currency 6. Preferences"
etc..

I have already written a sample script in Ruby like this to give an idea of how all the different text-based interactions would play out. Also I have a guy who works at Oracle on board who specializes in databases but he doesn't know web dev / using APIs. I'm also actively recruiting two full stack guys, but I would like to have a working prototype before I attend this conference (coinsumm.it) on March 25th.

Tl;dr would you be free to hack together a SMS based bitcoin wallet service before 3/25 in return for equity?

Send me a message if you are interested - thanks!

[1714236456]

1714236456

[1714236456]

1714236456

[michaelmclees]

It would be neat if one could take a picture of a piece of paper and have all the info on it, save for the pin.   Just send a picture of this hand written.

"7539903487
.07643"

"To send .07643 btc to 7539903487, please send PIN"

"554411"

"Sent.  Thank you."

[NLNico]

I agree that mobile money platforms are more common in developing world. For example, in the Philippines there is "Globe GCASH" and "Smart money" and with this you can send money to others with SMS.

The idea is that in most developing countries the young people from the whole country go to a few big cities to work and can then easily send money to support their families. Most people don't have a bank account, but they do have a mobile phone. After receiving the money with the mobile money platform there are stores/branches where you can get local currency. Besides mobile money platforms these countries have more companies (in the Philippines: M Lhuillier, Cebuana, etc.) to easily send money all over the country too.

Is your idea a solution to that? (Honestly I don't think it could be.. because these people just want their local currency only so no need to use bitcoin?) Or what is the background idea?

So in the end I am most interested to know how the following options would work:

from local currency - to local currency

And the idea/background of your project.


edit: I am saying Philippines here because I am a Dutch guy living in the Philippines. I think it sounds interesting but I am just trying to understand the whole idea and to think how and if this would work for example in the Philippines.

[gravitate]

hi sent you a pm

[doof]

pm sent

[_majc]

buildr is probably the man you're looking for.

This was in the main forum literally the day before you posted here (exactly the same idea, in development):
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=492053.0