Cryptocurrency community members can be rather creative when they put their mind to something. The Village Catalog project essentially serves as a sort of internet general store. Its main purpose is bringing more attention to cryptocurrency as a whole, although there is a strong focus on Bitcoin Cash first and foremost. It is not necessarily a decentralized marketplace in the same league as OpenBazaar, but it’s evident there is a growing demand for the ability to buy and sell goods online in exchange for cryptocurrencies.
The Village Catalog Project in a Nutshell
It is good to see community members come up with different ways to promote the use of cryptocurrencies. Most retailers are not too keen on providing this payment method right now, even though it could offer them multiple benefits in the long run. In fact, we’ve seen a fair few retailers end Bitcoin support once and for all, which is a rather worrisome trend. Something will need to change in this regard, and it may take some community effort to do so.
The Village Catalog project seems to be an interesting way of bringing this change to the world. It allows users to buy products in exchange for Bitcoin Cash and receive 1-3 day shipping. It is not exactly like Amazon, but there’s no reason to think that the comparison couldn’t be made in the future. Only time will tell how successful this project can be, though.
Looking at the list of available products, it is evident Village Catalog focuses on consumables first and foremost. There are multiple listings for food and beverages, as well as some basic kitchen utensils. There is no section for electronic goods or anything else that one would expect from such platforms. There are companies which specialize in selling electronics for Bitcoin or other currencies, yet it is evident this particular project has no intention of getting in on that action.
Interested parties need to be aware that Village Catalog will only ship to the United States right now. It is possible there will be an international expansion at some point, but that is not the plan right now. The top priorities are letting sellers list their products on the platform, integrating an affiliate program, and improving Bitcoin Cash integration, in addition to integrating a faster shipping option and better warehousing.
The big question is whether or not there will be big interest in projects like these. Given the current challenges in the world of cryptocurrency debit cards, spending Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash for smaller purchases such as food and drinks may certainly be an interesting opportunity to pursue in the future. After all, consumers won’t stop spending their BCH anytime soon, but finding new places to do so will always remain a bit of a problem. Village Catalog may fill that void a bit, although it is too early to draw any conclusions.
Cryptocurrency community members will need to get creative in order to promote their favorite cryptocurrencies in the future. That’s because traditional retailers will hold off on dealing with cryptocurrencies for quite some time to come, especially during periods of major price volatility. Community-driven projects may struggle for traction at first, but it seems things will eventually pick up. Cryptocurrencies can no longer be ignored, and the platforms embracing this new payment method will win out eventually.
