It is never good to see companies and retailers accepting Bitcoin payments suddenly no longer doing so. De Waag, a well-respected pub in the city of Delft, The Netherlands, was one of the first businesses in the country to accept Bitcoin payments. Ever since that time, however, things have started to trail off, and staffers have no clue how to accept cryptocurrency payments right now.
Bitcoin Loses Its Appeal Among Early Retail Adopters
There is an argument to be made as to whether or not Bitcoin has an appeal to pubs, bars, and restaurants right now. While die-hard Bitcoin enthusiasts may decide to pay with Bitcoin now and then, the overall customer base will never do so. Cryptocurrency has no mainstream appeal just yet, which causes early retail adopters to lose interest over time.
De Waag in Delft is no exception to this rule, though. Ever since accepting Bitcoin a few years ago, it looks like they are no longer actively doing so. Staffers at the premises have no clue how they should accept Bitcoin, which usually involves a tablet or smartphone to generate a QR code. Without the proper guidance for staffers, people will not use Bitcoin either.
For the time being, they still accept cash and even card payments. Neither of these is the most convenient for either customer or staffer. Then again, both are very common payment options, so it makes sense to focus on what one knows best. While the Bitcoin Accepted sign is still on the window at De Waag, using it to pay is pretty much impossible right now.
Moreover, the location should be housing a Bitcoin ATM, but those plans never came to fruition either. It remains unknown whether they ever had it, or decided not to go ahead with the venture. One of the staffers even mentioned as to how the machine had been stolen, which seems to indicate she is completely unaware of what the term ‘“Bitcoin ATM” even means.
There is no instant success for any business or store accepting Bitcoin payments. Getting involved in cryptocurrency is a long-term project, and may require multiple years – if not decades – before any real success can be achieved. It is sad to see some early adopters no longer care about Bitcoin, but they may show increased interest in a few years from now.
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