Unfortunately, but understandably, there can be a stigma about buying things online. There are real safety concerns when it comes to one’s financial data. This stigma is fading, of course, with the prevalence of online marketplaces, but, in the short term, Australia’s new method of allowing “physical” purchasing of cryptocurrency is an amazing step forward.
It works like this: using a system called Post Billpay, which was already existing and in use for more than 20 years, you can walk into Australia Post—a very well established business in the country, being more than two centuries old—and use cash or cards to purchase cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, from thousands of already existing locations.
Though catering to those with tech aversion may seem like a strange avenue of expansion for an all-digital currency, it makes sense to include them too if the currency is ever going to become a widespread and normalized reality.
It may seem almost utopian to propose, but widespread “Crypto Stores” as a common physical reality could be a huge step forward. Considering how visible the option is—visibility is a huge part of acceptance by the broad population—we may see these stores pop into existence in other countries, perhaps rapidly.
