Canada, the ignored

[Portnoy]

Ever since this Bitcoin thing came along I have been disappointed with how little the various new businesses and exchanges take Canada into account.

We in the Great White North have always been early adopters and big users of all things digital.

Beauty eh!

In my own business I have given my customers the option to pay by Bitcoin ( and give them a discount if they choose that option ) for months now...
and offer what help I can to get them started if they show interest, but have never had that much I can point them to in terms of Canadians easily
and inexpensively buying and selling Bitcoins etc..     

There are lots of stats which shows these facts. Here is just one article I grabbed at random. I hope more of you running Bitcoin businesses and the like,
or thinking of starting a new one, will take note:

Canadians’ Internet usage nearly double the worldwide average

“Since 10 years ago, since the boom of the Internet, we’ve always been at the top of online engagement.”


Thanks for listening.


If you want to buy a poor ignored hoser a beer:
1DyDrwKsx3HjRXK7xQ5YRZ2YGfFdcmh1Ys

[epetroel]

I've been pretty surprised by this as well.  Although many exchanges do offer CAD markets, it doesn't seem like they get much traction.  Wonder why that is.

[Absentis]

As a fellow Canadian, I'm curious if your business is online or brick and mortor.

[Portnoy]

As a fellow Canadian, I'm curious if your business is online or brick and mortor.

Online.
 
I didn't start this thread to promote myself and my business so I will leave it at that.

[Stephen Gornick]

Some resources for Canadians:

Exchanges:
 - http://cavirtex.com/ ( http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/VirtEx )
 - https://bitcoin-central.net ( http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin-Central )
 - https://www.tradehill.com/MarketData/CAD/
 - https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Nanaimo_Gold
 - http://www.canadianbitcoins.com

Money Conversion:
 - http://www.paxum.com (Canadian company)

IRC:
 - #bitcoin-cad https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=bitcoin-cad

The Bitcoin Gifter is a buying agent service where the agent makes purchases on your behalf and re-ships them domestically.  
Canada is served with multiple agents:
 - http://www.bitcoingifter.com
 - https://sites.google.com/site/bitcoingifter/agents/canada  
 The service might even be used to ship to a location in the U.S. near the border for pickup by a Canadian agent, using Kinek.

Gift certificates:
 SpendBitcoins lets you purchase gift codes for use in purchasing from Amazon Canada:
 - http://spendbitcoins.com
 BitEgg sells NewEgg Canada gift codes
 - http://bitegg.net

[Absentis]

As a fellow Canadian, I'm curious if your business is online or brick and mortor.

Online.
 
I didn't start this thread to promote myself and my business so I will leave it at that.

Well, time to go through your post history I guess. I feel like a bit of a creep but c'est la vie.

[Steve]

It would have been ironic if no one replied to this thread.

It seems like liquidity in other (non USD) currencies should be a problem easily solved through arbitrage.

While Bit-Pay doesn't payout in CAD, we do let you set prices in CAD (as well as many other currencies listed here: https://bit-pay.com/accountingHelp.html).

[Portnoy]

As a fellow Canadian, I'm curious if your business is online or brick and mortor.

Online.
 
I didn't start this thread to promote myself and my business so I will leave it at that.

Well, time to go through your post history I guess. I feel like a bit of a creep but c'est la vie.

I didn't mean to make you feel like a creep. I don't think my post history will tell you much about my business.
It's just that I would like to be able to speak freely as myself without worrying about it reflecting on the business,
which isn't all mine and I am not in charge of things like marketing and promoting.

[Portnoy]

So you feel ignored, eh? What more would you want people to do to cater to Canadiennes? Eh?

C'est la vie?  Canadiennes?    I think some of you are confusing Canada with the nation of Quebec.    ( inside joke )

Well to get back to your question... Just from today:  I see bitinstant announcing more options to make it super easy to get USD into TradeHill and MtGox;
I see Gavin promoting LoveBitcoins.org, and at that site I don't see a tab in the getting started area for Canada... no mention of Virtex or other Canadian
services... even though more than a few other countries/currencies are represented...  I see lots of announcements here of great things just to get let down a little
when I find not much there for Canadians when I look into it closer.      

I am not really complaining or jealous. There are more and more options for us Canucks all the time... ( Thanks Stephen, there are a couple there in your list I didn't know about already ).  But things like transferring and converting money, like with paxum, is still expensive. There is still not as many options as one might hope given the demographics. I think there is a good opportunity for businesses to tap into the internet-savvy Canadian potential.  A win/win* situation which will help Canadians and the businesses catering to them.  I just wanted to speak up to make everyone aware of this potential.

/edit * win/win/win when you consider Bitcoin itself.  Nearly everyone I mention Bitcoin to here is intrigued by the concept, even if they might not feel ready to get too involved with it yet. 

[MoonShadow]

bitcoin4cash is from Canada

[Portnoy]

bitcoin4cash is from Canada

Bitcoins by snailmail.   Need I say more?   

But really thanks for the link. 

[GoWest]

I'm Canadian.  There are a lot of us around here trying to contribute.

[Littleshop]

How about no shipping up charge to Canada until the 31'st?

So just pay the 99 cent shipping (in btc) on any product.

The first 5 orders only get this as it is possible for me to loose money on some items due to the higher shipping cost.  

http://cryptoanarchy.com/store

[bbit]

I've met many great Canadians on this board you people of the North should raise your head up because you are awesome people for bitcoin! 

[Bitcoin 100]

I've met many great Canadians on this board you people of the North should raise your head up because you are awesome people for bitcoin! 

Do I smell a Canadian Bitcoin Convention (CBC2012) in the works? What I've surmised from this thread is that Canada is a great country with wonderful people, people who are willing and able to embrace the internet world we now live in. Bitcoin is a logical extension of that realm.

[phillipsjk]

It is possible that Canadians are more risk-adverse. During a cold snap, you can die within about 2 hours if you don't plan ahead. During the world financial crisis, our more conservative banking laws saved our banks.

When I first heard about bitcoin, each bitcoin was worth fractions of a penny. I dismissed is as something that would never take off. I revisited bitcoin after getting paid in USD and was looking for the best way to unload such a "worthless" currency. I still don't have any bitcoin because I want to have my computer(s) secured, with verified off-site backups first.

I don't really trust CaVirtex  because their Terms Of Service says that I agree that Bitcoins are worthless with no inherent value. They also require you to use online banking, which I don't use because I would be required to install anti-virus software as a condition of banking online (bank's Terms of Service).

I may not be typical, but I think my insights are still valid.

PS: After geting bitcoin, and looking into Money Service Business requirements, I may start selling small bitcoin quatities in person for CAD.

[Portnoy]

It seems like liquidity in other (non USD) currencies should be a problem easily solved through arbitrage.

One of the big problems is us being able to participate in arbitrage easily and inexpensively. There have been many times I wished I could have moved money, USD or CAD, between MtGox and/or Tradehill, and Virtex, when the difference in prices could've resulted in a good profit from arbitrage.  

And as phillipsjk points out it isn't just non-Canadian businesses that have an opportunity to help themselves and Canadians. I have sent messages to Virtex ( Calgary, Alberta ) suggesting, among other things, they support something like paxum deposits and withdrawals.  Oh the arbitrage fun I could've had!  

[Portnoy]

Do I smell a Canadian Bitcoin Convention (CBC2012) in the works? What I've surmised from this thread is that Canada is a great country with wonderful people, people who are willing and able to embrace the internet world we now live in. Bitcoin is a logical extension of that realm.

CBC2012?  Hmm... maybe we can invite Amanda Lang*; I really like her. I am not sure what she thinks of Bitcoin, if she even knows about it yet, but she is a great business journalist who is very smart, fair and with a great way with people.  She would be more than welcome if it were up to me... as long as that Kevin O'Leary* creep ( the Canadian version of Gordon Gekko ) doesn't tag along.   

But I think we would need a better name. CBC* already stands for something long established in the psyches of Canadians... even though our neo-con dictator is trying to kill it.

---

* The Lang & O'Leary Exchange

[Bitcoin 100]

Do I smell a Canadian Bitcoin Convention (CBC2012) in the works? What I've surmised from this thread is that Canada is a great country with wonderful people, people who are willing and able to embrace the internet world we now live in. Bitcoin is a logical extension of that realm.

CBC2012?  Hmm... maybe we can invite Amanda Lang*; I really like her. I am not sure what she thinks of Bitcoin, if she even knows about it yet, but she is a great business journalist who is very smart, fair and with a great way with people.  She would be more than welcome if it were up to me... as long as that Kevin O'Leary* creep ( the Canadian version of Gordon Gekko ) doesn't tag along.   

But I think we would need a better name. CBC* already stands for something long established in the psyches of Canadians... even though our neo-con dictator is trying to kill it.

---

* The Lang & O'Leary Exchange

...or the CBCAE with, or without, 2012. ---> Canadian Bitcoin Conference and Expo

[Bitcoin 100]

Don't Ignore Canada!

Brought to you by the Canadian Tourist Bureau.