BitPay the Bitcoin payment processor continues building on its relationship with Ayden, the payment processor behind AirBnB, Facebook, Uber, Spotify and Facebook. Its latest integration is with 3D Hubs.
3D Hubs, the “AirBnB of 3D printers,” is a global network connecting local 3D printers’ owners with Makers. Their mission is to make 3D printing accessible to everyone and help people create a new kind of products that are personalized, on-demand and locally produced.
Founded in April 2013 in Amsterdam by two former 3D Systems employees Brian Garret and Bram de Zwart, the company has since raised a US$4.5 million Series A in September 2014 backed by Balderton Capital and Dutch investors DOEN and Zeeburg.
With 3D Printers, not only manufacturers but anyone can now create products in a whole range of materials including plastics, resins, metals, ceramics, and even food. The opportunities are endless.
Much like how Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for example give the ability for self-publishing authors and music artists to sell directly to the public, 3D Hubs and similar platforms do this between 3D Printing and Manufacturers. 3D Printing has been a revolution for manufacturing not only because of its ground-breaking technology but also due to its ability to decentralize and disrupt current paradigms.
“3D Hubs brings a disruptive technology to the masses by decentralising 3D printing,” said Wouter Vonk, European Marketing Manager at BitPay. “This is in perfect synergy with what BitPay is doing for money transfers. But while we are making the physical concept of money digital, 3D Hubs is making digital concepts physical."
When asked why 3D Hubs decided to accept bitcoin, 3D Hubs co-founder, Bram de Zwart, explained to Cointelegraph:
“Bitcoin was the most requested feature by the 3D Hubs community. This makes sense as there is much overlap between Bitcoin and 3D Hubs as they are both platforms that enable communities to change large industries with a bottom-up approach to manufacturing and payments. With this launch we are making it possible for everyone to manufacture and purchase products without traditional centralised institutions in between.”
The partnership between BitPay and 3DHubs is a welcomed step towards strengthening this global movement towards a decentralized landscape.
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