BTC In Afghanistan? ... it's 100% ripe right now

[Armis]

I was listening to NPR this morning heard the following story:
http://www.npr.org/2014/06/05/319030334/afghans-must-pass-anti-money-laundering-law-or-face-blacklist

The international community has told Afghans to fix their banks and pass anti-money laundering legislation by June 22. If officials fail to do so, the country will be badlisted for five years.

Currently Afghans are having major difficulties with international money transfers as the banking system tightens the screws in order to make sure that the country votes the way the banks wish.  [shame on them]   This has resulted in many businesses frantically running around trying to find ways to do international transfers in order to do their imports.   The established money transfer businesses are racking up, rates have climbed upwards of 80% over bank rates.   This is a MAJOR opportunity for BTC business to make a major move over there.

Anyone here know anyone over there?

[blatchcorn]

I can see the headlines now: 'Bitcoin funds al qaeda'

[kokoarm]

I can see the headlines now: 'Bitcoin funds al qaeda'

I agree. Unfortunately it would do more harm than good to push Bitcoin in Afghan right now. The government is in talks with the Taliban who may soon be power-sharing.

Sub Saharan Africa and small independent States are better options if you are trying to encourage Bitcoin use as a major part of a country's economy.

[serje]

How can someone say it is hard to do international transfers to Afghanistan or from Afghanistan when CIA pumped there millions of dollars?

They just don't want us regular people to be able to do businesses there!

And what I don't really understand is why we still use fiat when we can use BTC!!!

Why we let others do the rules for us!

Let's start a revolution! 

[bryant.coleman]

What load of BS. 80% of the Afghans are illiterate and you are expecting them to use Bitcoins? How they will store their coins safely? And how they will find the exchange rates?

[Armis]

What load of BS. 80% of the Afghans are illiterate and you are expecting them to use Bitcoins? How they will store their coins safely? And how they will find the exchange rates?

Cut it out, illiteracy is not a barrier for intelligent business people.  If you speak and read 12 different languages and hold 5 different post doctoral degrees but don't know the language of your host nation you'll pretty illiterate, but you will certainly find a way to communicate your message and do what you need to do.

My opening post is about people who are ALREADY doing import business, they are already doing money transfers, the only difference is the banks they were used to doing business with have limited their ease of use.  So now they must seek other ways to facilitate their money transfers.

It's unbelievable how so many jump to different levels of negativity for no good reason.  

I invite you to listen to the actual story (via OP link) than contribute some constructive discourse, please.

How can someone say it is hard to do international transfers to Afghanistan or from Afghanistan when CIA pumped there millions of dollars?

They just don't want us regular people to be able to do businesses there!

And what I don't really understand is why we still use fiat when we can use BTC!!!

Why we let others do the rules for us!

Let's start a revolution! 

Careful cowboy, BTC has a market cap of less than 10B, that means just about any well known USA corp could buy it up over night, and run it into the ground before you wake up to check on your trades.

China has proven with their 'legal, illegal, legal, illegal, legal, illegal' determinations about btc that they could shut it down, start it up, and change their minds anytime they wish. 

[CryptoKilla]

There will never be a way to stop individuals from owning BTC. They will also be able to use it for whatever type of transactions they want. It is already used for illegal activities and will continue to be used for them. This is the scary truth. With that being said, I hope some large corporation doesn't attempt to buy up all of the BTC available in a very short period of time. 

[jc01480]

<scratchesHead>
Somehow, I can't see a tribal Afghan sitting on a hilltop with a smart phone checking his Goatcoin balance.  

</scratchesHead>

[RodeoX]

Very little internet there outside of U.S. bases. They may have to get the blockchain by donkey.

[frankenmint]

how exactly does that work?  you have a great of near frictionless money transfers but a detriment of ties to terrorism - the new enemy.  I think the price of btc itself will hop up from a good jump from another illicit activity taking btc more mainstream this go round.  People won't back out of btc - they will determine lists to blacklist certain coins from circulation into their systems through labeled as tainted coins.

[Ron~Popeil]

I wonder if  Afghanistan's cell network is up to the task. Other than that obvious issue I think the best thing for the people of any third world country would be for its people instant access to a global financial network.

[DolanDuck]

Very little internet there outside of U.S. bases. They may have to get the blockchain by donkey.

There's no need to get the entire blockchain if they will use Electrum / Multibit / Armory, just some megabytes 

[binkshurts]

The general afghan people don't have to use BTC, so you can remove all the donkey/tribal jokes. All it takes is a few wealthy individuals (probably controlling 99% of the wealth in the country) to start using BTC .. the government and the bank is giving THEM enough reasons to start investing in something like BTC.

[Ron~Popeil]

The general afghan people don't have to use BTC, so you can remove all the donkey/tribal jokes. All it takes is a few wealthy individuals (probably controlling 99% of the wealth in the country) to start using BTC .. the government and the bank is giving THEM enough reasons to start investing in something like BTC.

But donkey and tribal jokes are fun.

[ReserviorHunt]

Those people don't need btc. What they need is AK and more bullets with some hashish money to bribe the right people.

Maybe you organize a btc awareness expedition can go hiking through their border and get caught just as those three dumb americans did..

[zimmah]

Very little internet there outside of U.S. bases. They may have to get the blockchain by donkey.

There's no need to get the entire blockchain if they will use Electrum / Multibit / Armory, just some megabytes  

I'm pretty sure Armory acts as a node and uses the entire blockchain.

This is by the way a good thing, because we need reliable nodes.

[beetcoin]

oh man, we're going to see tunnel visioned miliary leaders speaking out against bitcoin. i can't stand those people; they are so narrow-minded and think the U.S. is always the good guy, and everyone else is bad.

[Elwar]

I'm in Afghanistan right now. They have Etisalat and Roshan phone coverage. Etisalat is based in the UAE and has a pretty decent data rate. They have the same smart phones available as in the US.

[bitsmichel]

oh man, we're going to see tunnel visioned miliary leaders speaking out against bitcoin. i can't stand those people; they are so narrow-minded and think the U.S. is always the good guy, and everyone else is bad.

It would be somewhat ironic, as the United States Air Force has quietly been working on a Bitcoin payment gateway http://bitcoinmagazine.com/12517/u-s-navy-preparing-bitcoin-battalion/

[keithers]

I can see the headlines now: 'Bitcoin funds al qaeda'

I agree. Unfortunately it would do more harm than good to push Bitcoin in Afghan right now. The government is in talks with the Taliban who may soon be power-sharing.

Sub Saharan Africa and small independent States are better options if you are trying to encourage Bitcoin use as a major part of a country's economy.

The US government would probably love it to be able to publicly tie BTC and cryptos with funding Al Qaeda.  That would give them so much smear campaign potential that it isn't even funny...