PAY WITH CRYPTO — A Story on How To Live On Crypto in Florianópolis, Brazil
UseCripto — two ambitious crypto girls from Brazil are fighting for crypto adoption in their country and for that started their project: living on crypto. Therefore, they absolved a trip with the challenge to only use cryptocurrencies as payment.
Brazil, a country where people do rarely use cash anymore, but mainly credit card, cryptocurrencies seem to have great potential. So we are excited to explore UseCripto’s experience!
WHO ARE USECRIPTO
UseCripto is a project consisting of two girls — Caroline & Kaká — which is located in Porto Alegre in Brazil, South America. The girls have known each other for a long time and they have a clinic together as female entrepreneurs: Carol is a dentist and Kaká’s profession is publicitary/advertising.
At one point, they were researching for alternatives to avoid the economic crisis, additionally they were frustrated about taxes, high credit card fees and actually “[…] working for a system that does not work.” So they started to inform themselves about investments and March 2019 was the time where they found their way into the crypto world. As apparently in Brazil, as everywhere else in the world, the focus is on crypto trading — also within the content creating space — they wanted to do more than just that.
Furthermore, the lack of women within the crypto space motivated them to create a channel to offer the general public content in a simple and entertaining way. Basically they wanted to learn how to use crypto and this is how UseCripto was born.
UseCripto’s first content was focused on beginner topics, e.g. about how to set up a wallet etc. Soon they realized that it was more effective to go outside and tell the world about these new available technologies by talking to people and merchants in person. “Live on crypto” was therefore the logical consequence.
And obviously, in their clinic they wanted & started to accept cryptocurrencies as payment option for treatments as well.
LIVING ON CRYPTO
The challenge: 4 days of living just on cryptocurrencies
The trip: from Porto Alegre to Florianópolis and back.
THE BEGINNING
Carol & Kaká started their trip in their hometown Porto Alegre. Since the distance between these two cities is more than 400 km, their first stop in Porto Alegre was at the gas station — at the only one which accepts Bitcoin! After filling up the tank, their first crypto payment happened successfully via a crypto PoS terminal of the brand “digital money”. The guy working at the gas station told them, that a lot of people are actually paying with Bitcoin.
THE TOLL CHALLENGE
As in Brazil there is a toll on highways, at one point Carol & Kaká faced their first real challenge, as they reached a toll station. Possible ways of payments for the toll: in cash (Brazilian Reais) or a check. Not even a credit card! Even if in Brazil paying by credit card is the most common way! So they asked to talk to the toll leader to try to convince them to pay with crypto, but no chance, this time they lost against FIAT.
ARRIVED IN FLORIANÓPOLIS
After a long drive they arrived in Florianópolis, the capital of the state Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil. Famous for its beautiful beaches, Floripa (how it is also called) is actually one of the main innovation and technology hubs of the country and therefore home for many startups within the technology sector.
EAT, SLEEP & PAY WITH CRYPTO
“Crypto is here to be used!”
Carol & Kaká put up in Hostel Casa Terra — apparently the only hostel where cryptocurrencies are accepted in Floripa. Diego, the owner, is a fan of cryptocurrencies and stated that crypto is here to be used. That is the reason why he accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), IOTA and Ripple (XRP). At Hostel Casa Terra, you can book surf lessons, transfers, trips etc. by sending your cryptocurrencies to his wallet.
IT’S LUNCH TIME!
Accepting crypto makes it a point of interest for people to come and take pictures of it!
For lunch they went to a place called “Mercadoteca”, since there are two restaurants accepting cryptocurrencies. One of the two restaurants is “Savas Armazém”. Pedro, the guy working behind the counter of Savas Armazém, told UseCripto that accepting cryptocurrencies is innovative, especially using a PoS, since a lot of tech firms are based in Floripa. Furthermore, accepting cryptocurrencies offers some more advantages: e.g. gives sales leverage, it is something different and people are curious about that. It makes it a point of interest for people to come and take pictures of it. At “Savas Armazém”, a PoS terminal of the brand “Bancryp” is used, later in this article more about that.
UseCripto met the guys of “EscolaCripto” for having lunch at the Mercadoteca. They already knew these guys from a previous meetup. EscolaCripto is basically an educative crypto project initiated by João, Lalo & Cláudio. Every morning they report about the current crypto market, every Thursday they have live guests in their show and additionally they offer a lot of free content on their channels.
THE “CRYPTO PLACE TO BE”
…in Floripa is the “Multi Open Shopping” mall. More than 80 % of the shops accept Bitcoin there! And not only shops, but you can pay services, the cinema, gastronomy etc. within the mall by using cryptocurrencies. Thanks to the brazilian fintech “Bancryp”, a crypto bank “for the new crypto economy”, based in Floripa as well, with their headquarters inside the mall. They have done an amazing job by showing the merchants the advantages of accepting cryptocurrencies in their shops via the Bancryp crypto PoS terminal . A big plus here was definitely the fact that merchants can choose, if they want to receive the due amount in crypto or in the local fiat currency. So the merchants do not have any volatility risks that may compromise their businesses.
Watch a video about the first mall in Brazil which accepts cryptocurrencies here!
CRYPTO PREPAID CARDS
Having some beers in the evening and paying with Bitcoin, but no crypto PoS or crypto wallet implemented in the bar?
UseCripto got themself a prepaid crypto credit card from the “Alterbank”. It is not like paying directly with cryptocurrencies, but at least crypto can be used for payment. In the end they had the possibility to exchange Bitcoin to Fiat. This crypto credit card gave UseCripto the chance to pay — even if indirectly — with Bitcoin at the street markets and in restaurants.
COMMUNITY WORK
UseCripto visited also “Hackathon Payment Shift”, an institution which organizes hackathons (dedicated to the Blockchain technology), lectures and workshops for the whole community in Floripa. So they had the chance to meet other crypto enthusiasts and to get an overview on the crypto community of Floripa.
EVERYTHING COMES TO AN END
Sadly, time flies by very fast and so it got time to go home. For that, the car needed to be filled up with fuel, and so the last time to pay with crypto occurred — for this trip.
Galo gas station accepts cryptocurrencies (via Bancrypto PoS terminal).
CONCLUSION
Floripa is definitely a crypto friendly spot, but the crypto movement is actually happening more “selectively” in specific places like for example the mall. A few shops told UseCripto, that only a handful of people used the PoS system so far. People are more likely to hodl at the moment, instead of spending.
But still it was an amazing experience! Besides the one time at the toll, they could always exchange Bitcoin for food, drinks, accommodation and even fuel. At the places where there was no direct way to pay with Bitcoin, they could at least use their crypto prepaid card.
Follow UseCripto on its journey!
We thank UseCripto for that interesting interview on their project “Live on Crypto” to show us how crypto adoption is proceeding in other parts of the world! Thank you for sharing your experience with Crypto Tree and we are looking forward to your next crypto trip! We wish you all the best!
