acquired btcusa.com registered 13yrs before bitcoin back in 1996! 🤯🤯🤯

[Amr85]

Hello,

Let me introduce myself briefly. I have been in domain business for as long as i remember, where i buy & sell domains & websites. A programmer too, the online world led me to bitcoin back in 2016

Few days ago i came across an expired auction for btcusa.com but what caught my eyes is the registration date which is March 1996 🤯 13 years before bitcoin

I went to archive.org and checked the website over the time machine & btc meant ‘behavior tech computer corp’ but we all know what btc means so i said to myself that i had to get it.

The auction went from $20 to about $600 where i was bidding against few people, i was willing to get it even if it got to 4 digit mark.

I am thinking about turning it to a business, hence i listed it for $30k ‘1 btc’ at Dan.com since i am in no hurry to sell.

Anyone got an idea if what i should do with btcusa.com?

Thanks in advance & have a great day!

[OmegaStarScream]

If you're willing to put some effort or hire people, then a site with all data about BTC/crypto in the U.S would be a good idea in my opinion:

- Step-by-step guides on how to use some U.S based exchanges (Coinbase, Binance.us, etc.)
- Exchange/crypto services reviews.
- List of BTMs (Bitcoin ATMs) as well as how to buy and run one (costs, profit, etc.)
- Crypto-related laws and regulations
- etc.

[Hispo]

If you have the resources to build and nice and tidy webpage, perhaps you could try to offer a directory for Bitcoin services in the United States, places where people can spend their Bitcoin directly. How and where to find Bitcoin ATMs in the United States with the most competitive fees.
Or you could also start your own pool aimed to miners from the USA, you got a nice domain, so you can do many things with in.

The problem is that there is already a little bit of everything within this ecosystem and the competence can be rough, keep that in mind when you calculate your budget.

[sunsilk]

If there will be a taker for $30k then just sell it. Most contents and possible features and contents have already been said by OmegaStarScream.

As in anything related to bitcoin and USA, you can make a directory for it. You can make it as an open website where every bitcoin enthusiasts in the USA can contribute freely but still, you need to filter those that aren't worth it to get listed.

[so98nn]

You should not sell it just right away. Considering what’s happening in USA, this domain could be better to have in your pockets for time being. It may happen due to negative news correlation with US and crypto right now this domain would get less attention. You know peeps are undoubtedly confused about various regulations in US against crypto currencies. It may lose value temporarily but not permanently.

Moreover, try to auction it in the forums Auction section where you may find more relevant buyers as compared to listing it on general brokerage website.

You definitely have golden egg in your hands, don’t let it go so easily.

[karabiber]

I would like to say that I was very surprised that such an address was taken in 1996. Probably btc was short for something other than bitcoin, but that's very noticeable.
After starting with the history of Bitcoin and giving technical and basic information, you can make presentations about its philosophy. There may be short presentations describing the storage conditions and trading of Bitcoin. You can locate the map locations of Bitcoin-used areas in the United States. It could be atm or something like that.

If you get the offer you want, I think you should sell it. BTC is a remarkable address, but unfortunately not as remarkable as 1 Bitcoin. You'll know what I mean in the next bull.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

Btcusa.com could well serve as an exchange platform for USA citizens, we all know that USA is a very strict country in terms of regulations and all that, most especially for cryptocurrencies, but if coinbase can do it, plus a host of others including binance.us, then you can too, and if you are able to pull this off, trust me, btcusa.com could really become a big crypto currency exchange, one that could compete with other big shots in the industry, no doubt, this is an investment that would require alot of money, but trust me, it will be worth it...
This is what I think, what ever your decision is by the end of the day, good luck to you friend.

[darkangel11]

I'd keep the site and maybe ask around if an ATM company or a bitcoin exchange wants to lease it. 10 years from now it could be worth more than it is today and you'd make some money in the meantime, allowing the site work for itself and gain entries. The more it is used the higher its future value.

I would like to say that I was very surprised that such an address was taken in 1996. Probably btc was short for something other than bitcoin, but that's very noticeable.

Better than cash, Buck's towing company, Born to create, Best Texas cows... I doubt someone who made that site in 96 was thinking about "bitcoin".

[mendace]

Oh great, it's curious to know that by chance it was registered btc before its birth, is it possible to trace the previous owner?  Maybe we find Nakamoto by accident

[suzanne5223]

I look into the trust score, rating, and highlight of the domain btcusa.com and it was good. We can only provide advise base on what we believe but the decision is yours to make and with years of experience in the domain selling market I believe you should know what to do in the end.
Having said that. Here is my advice due to the upcoming rally market, you can put the domain up for sale at $25-30K and put the money into Bitcoin for the next few years.

 

[DaveF]

Oh great, it's curious to know that by chance it was registered btc before its birth, is it possible to trace the previous owner?  Maybe we find Nakamoto by accident

Back in the 90s during the .com boom everyone registered everything. btdusa.com and bteusa.com and so on were all probably registered at one point in time.
Some stayed, some did not. I have a bunch of domains sitting in my account that go back to 1995-1999 and keep them just because of their age.
It's one of those odd things in the internet. Domain "X" is worthless, domain "Y" even though it's worse in terms of the number of characters or spelling or some other thing is worth more because it was registered 25+ years ago and never dropped.

-Dave

[yhiaali3]

Since you seem to love auctions why not turn it into an auction site for selling old Bitcoin related stuff.

Old things related to Bitcoin, old Satoshi chats or wallets, old transactions....etc, any old thing of importance in the history of Bitcoin that you can turn into an auction.

You can also later NFT these old things and sell them on the site.

[entebah]

maybe make a good directory website that lists all the companies that accept bitcoin as a payment or make a crypto news website.
or if you don't want to be bothered just auction the website again

[Synchronice]

Oh great, it's curious to know that by chance it was registered btc before its birth, is it possible to trace the previous owner?  Maybe we find Nakamoto by accident

Did you read the post? In this case, the word BTC stood for behavior tech computer corp.
BTCUSA is a great domain, you can start any bitcoin related business. If I were you, I wouldn't sell this domain because it has a huge potential if you manage to find investors but if you still insist to sell, then think about this: You may know that El Salvador is opening a bitcoin embassy in Texas. BTCUSA is a match match domain for an embassy, you can pretty much get paid more than 30K.

By the way, don't stick with Bitcoin meaning behind BTC. BTC can also mean Business Trading Company, check btcuk.com
Check btc-europe.com.
Check btc-europe.com - This may given you an inspiration too.

Also, check your PM, sent you an useful advice which I don't want to post here because some people may take advantage of it and profit from you.

[Amr85]

Hello again!

First of all, i really appreciate each & every advice! There are indeed unlimited options for btcusa.com & I am still navigating every possibility in order to make something great at the end of the day!

I am leaning towards an idea that has always been at the back of my head, which is to create the next 'local bitcoin' specially that they closed their business. but the question here is:

Do people feel safe meeting potential traders in real life & make a trade? but this is where reviews comes handy to check how much is this seller/buyer is a trustworthy person.

about making an exchange for the US, like coinbase or binance.us is a great idea but i have to say that i don't have that budget to start it since it requires a much bigger budget with alot of legal assistance, since the US is not really 'btc friendly'.probably making a dex for btc would be a good option here.

btw, here's a snapshot of the website 20 years ago showing what btc meant! it's really amazing how ONLY one party held the domain since it was registered in 1996 UNTIL today without dropping! this in domain world adds alot of value to the domain, as many internet enthusiast would love collecting a piece of internet history, think of it as an 'antique'.

https://web.archive.org/web/20020327112431/http://www.btcusa.com:80/

[mendace]

Oh great, it's curious to know that by chance it was registered btc before its birth, is it possible to trace the previous owner?  Maybe we find Nakamoto by accident

Did you read the post? In this case, the word BTC stood for behavior tech computer corp.
BTCUSA is a great domain, you can start any bitcoin related business. If I were you, I wouldn't sell this domain because it has a huge potential if you manage to find investors but if you still insist to sell, then think about this: You may know that El Salvador is opening a bitcoin embassy in Texas. BTCUSA is a match match domain for an embassy, you can pretty much get paid more than 30K.

By the way, don't stick with Bitcoin meaning behind BTC. BTC can also mean Business Trading Company, check btcuk.com
Check btc-europe.com.
Check btc-europe.com - This may given you an inspiration too.

Also, check your PM, sent you an useful advice which I don't want to post here because some people may take advantage of it and profit from you.

Hey, yes of course I read the post...let's say my post was just a little ironic.  But I agree with what you wrote and that it shouldn't stop at the sole meaning of Bitcoin.

[OmegaStarScream]

-snip-
I am leaning towards an idea that has always been at the back of my head, which is to create the next 'local bitcoin' specially that they closed their business. but the question here is:

Do people feel safe meeting potential traders in real life & make a trade? but this is where reviews comes handy to check how much is this seller/buyer is a trustworthy person.

I'm sure some people would love to do their trades face-to-face, but if that's the only payment method you're going to support, it's probably going to be a waste of time.

As for the feedback system, it would be a good idea to add the ability for users to import their trust profiles. I know that LocalCryptos used to allow that with LBC and Paxful, but with these two sites down, you should look into some other popular options: Binance P2P, OKX, Huobi, etc. I'm not sure if they have an API that allows that though.

[coupable]

- Step-by-step guides on how to use some U.S based exchanges (Coinbase, Binance.us, etc.)
- Exchange/crypto services reviews.
- List of BTMs (Bitcoin ATMs) as well as how to buy and run one (costs, profit, etc.)
- Crypto-related laws and regulations

Almost these are the best solutions that you can use to take advantage of the domain, but there is a risk that none of the projects will succeed if you do not have sufficient knowledge of the American market. I think the best thing to do is to continue promoting the domain in the hope of finding a buyer who can appreciate its value, which seemed to me to be much higher than just $600.
I remember that an incident like this also occurred with one of the domains in the name of ethereum, which was acquired much earlier than the date of launching the Ethereum network that we know today. I remember that the domain is also for sale for an imaginary amount.

[Amr85]

-snip-
I am leaning towards an idea that has always been at the back of my head, which is to create the next 'local bitcoin' specially that they closed their business. but the question here is:

Do people feel safe meeting potential traders in real life & make a trade? but this is where reviews comes handy to check how much is this seller/buyer is a trustworthy person.

I'm sure some people would love to do their trades face-to-face, but if that's the only payment method you're going to support, it's probably going to be a waste of time.

Thanks for your take! but may i ask why you think if i only allowed the 'face-to-face' trades it will be a waste of time? i am just trying to understand the market & try my best to avoid any potential failure before happening.

i think implementing only this option will make my development much easier & if i can do the marketing right it might see the light. 

[Amr85]

- Step-by-step guides on how to use some U.S based exchanges (Coinbase, Binance.us, etc.)
- Exchange/crypto services reviews.
- List of BTMs (Bitcoin ATMs) as well as how to buy and run one (costs, profit, etc.)
- Crypto-related laws and regulations

Almost these are the best solutions that you can use to take advantage of the domain, but there is a risk that none of the projects will succeed if you do not have sufficient knowledge of the American market. I think the best thing to do is to continue promoting the domain in the hope of finding a buyer who can appreciate its value, which seemed to me to be much higher than just $600.
I remember that an incident like this also occurred with one of the domains in the name of ethereum, which was acquired much earlier than the date of launching the Ethereum network that we know today. I remember that the domain is also for sale for an imaginary amount.

I agree, it's indeed worth more than just $600 & if i wanted to sell it fast i could easily auction it on a bigger marketplace like Sedo for instance. but i honestly feel for the first time in my domain experience that i want to develop a domain rather than just flip it for a quick buck, hence i listed it for 1 btc cause i want to take my time & most likely turn it into a business.