There was a global shock-wave when Bitcoin became a thing back in 2009. Many people didn’t like it, stating it was a threat to fiat currency, a risk to liquidity, and was far too volatile to be taken seriously. The people who weren’t opposed to it, however, didn’t really have a meaningful way to demonstrate the movement.
That is to say, it took a good few years before crypto became meaningful in the real world, and even now, non-users still aren’t aware of its real-world uses. Crypto tokens are an asset, for sure. But what exactly can you do with them, other than sell them?
Well, as of 2023, it turns out you can do quite a lot with them. Across the world, cryptocurrency is becoming more infused into our everyday lives.
Of course, you can’t yet walk into a store and use BTC for your groceries – and even if you could, one BTC is worth nearly $30,000, so that’s a heck of a lot of groceries – but there are several new avenues for crypto holders who not only want to hold crypto but use it too. Let’s look into a few:
Online Gaming
The most notable way in which people spend cryptocurrency is through online gaming. The crypto gambling market, for instance, has soared in popularity over the last few years. In 2021, wild coins casino established itself as one of the top platforms for users with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Dogecoin. With casinos like this, users can not only stake their crypto tokens but earn more if they win. Other online games – non-casino related – include Axie Infinity, Decentraland, and Splinterlands.
Online Stores
Retailers have been catching onto the cryptocurrency buzz, too. Some of the world’s biggest companies now allow users to add crypto tokens into their online accounts, with the most notable being Microsoft, Shopify, Home Depot, and Overstock. A significant portion of these translations are gift card purchases, as they offer the simplest method of transferring crypto into real-world businesses.
Service Providers
To expand their client bases, service providers are also beginning to accept crypto as a payment option. As of 2023, AT&T, Twitch, NordVPN, WordPress, Reddit, and Bloomberg are utilising BTC among other alt-coins as payment options. There aren’t as many service providers on board as, perhaps, there should be. But the number is likely to grow. It’s important to remember that, right now, cryptocurrency is going through a winter, meaning prices are low and uncertainty is high. It is likely to come out of this winter in the near future and reclaim the heights of 2021, and this boom will similarly inspire more acceptance.
Travel
If you’re planning to go on vacation, you will soon be able to pay for it completely out of your crypto wallet. Travala, for instance, currently accepts BTC for hotel bookings, and in the next few years, it is planning to introduce crypto as payment for flights, activities, restaurants, and more. If you don’t want to wait that long, airlines like AirBaltic and Virgin Galactic also accept crypto payments for a variety of flights.
The Emporium
Lastly, one of the best ways in which you can use your crypto tokens is through the Crypto Emporium. This is an online platform that acts as a giant crypto store, with prices specific to blockchain tokens including BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, USDT, XRP, DASH, and more.
What can you buy here? Well, you can buy watches, smartphones, cars, gaming consoles, laptops, luxury clothing, paintings, heck, you can even buy real estate if you wanted to. As more companies and manufacturers accept cryptocurrency, this is likely to be the most significant way in which tokens are used in the future: one massive emporium for all your buying needs!