While UK chain CeXexperiments with Bitcoin-only payments in one of its stores, New Zealand hasgone one better with the opening of an online crypto-currency supermarket.
Bitmart.co.nz was setup based on owner Chris Dawson’s inkling that crypto-currency is an integralpart of the future of trading.
“The enthusiasm of the growing Bitcoincommunity and their eagerness to help establish a thriving digital currencyeconomy in New Zealand really solidifies my belief that Bitcoin is here tostay,” he told Stuff.co.nz.
“Blown away”
Bitmart currentlyaccepts both Bitcoin and Dogecoin, with products displayed in fiat or BTC andconverted to the relevant currency at checkout.
The range of productson offer is already impressive, ranging from food items to hardware andelectronics. Bitmart has furthermore been active in the crypto-community onReddit, giving out free gift boxes to frequent New Zealand-based posters incrypto-currency sub-reddits.
The store’s openinghas been met with a very positive response on social media, with CoinWolf ofNew Zealand startup Tibno tweeting: “We'vebroken thru to mainstream (kind of) - you can now buy marmite and toothpastewith BTC in NZ.”
Bitcoin grocery storesare a steadily increasing phenomenon, with sites such as bitdazzle.com startingup late last year. Mainstream adoption is something often explicitly mentionedat official openings, and Bitmart’s Dawson was “blown away” by the popularity of the site since launching on 6May, Stuff reports.
What many will bemonitoring now, however, will be Bitcoin’s volatility, something which couldswiftly make both purchasing and pricing the weekly shop something of acalculation nightmare should prices not stabilize.