How Crypto Saved Christmas (last year)
“I really didn’t think much of it. Just that I’d wake up and everyone would be using them,” says Alex de Lega, the owner of restaurant and confection parlor Ponto do Dindin in Manaus Amazonas, Brazil, about his decision to accept cryptocurrency in January of 2016.
“We had a rough Christmas 2015, so we decided to accept more forms of payment. Usually, people come for miles to get our treats and leave them for kids on Christmas morning. But we had hard years. The new coins make lots of small sales possible, and a few big sales.”
“Christmas 2017 was our best in ten years. We’ll see what this year looks like.” Then he added, joking, “We might have to make smaller pastries.”
90% of retail expects to make 90%+ of its revenue in a ten-to-fifteen day window of the year: The Holidays. As traditional currency becomes scarce or decreases in value in some areas of South America, the use for altcoins ramps up.
Further north in the tropics of Kingston, Jamaica lies the backpacker’s jewel, Hotel P, a hostel under new management, which started accepting cryptocurrency in September of 2017. “We have so many new European customers and Asian customers now that we didn’t know before. Because this coin system makes everybody friendly… get along. Talk to each other. How do you say, equal.” Cyrus Tillmon, the acting manager, took over a muddy, shabby string of shacks, and turned the property into its new incarnation, New Kingston, Charming & Pristine.
“Our Christmas last year was busy. People checking in all day for days. People sharing bunks, friends, moms and kids. People cooking meals together. It was really fun. I hope this year will be as much fun.”
Ken Yoda (his ‘traveler’ name), a hosteler who’s visited the region several times over the last decade remembers when the local community had the lot condemned and was going to raze the land. “Cyrus has done wonderful things here. In just a couple years all the cabins and rooms are places I’d let my grandma stay. It wasn’t like that before.”
But probably my favorite story is of little Annenelia in Brazil. She was born in February of this year, but around Christmastime last year, her parents weren’t sure she was going to make it. From a remote village, it took hours for the couple to reach Consultório Vida, which provides female health and ultrasound exam services.
But there were two problems. First, complications with the pregnancy and that’s always scary until you know what’s going on. The other problem was money. The couple had no money to pay for the critical attention they needed. No cash, no crypto. But, they had family overseas who were willing to help.
At that time the clinic had no means of accepting alternative payment methods, but the facility administrator wanted to assist the struggling family and simultaneously wanted to bring the clinic into the 21st century.
The clinic has officially accepted altcoins since January 19th of 2018 and has even set up an outreach program to connect with friends and family about payments from overseas.
“If we hadn’t been so lucky that day, we wouldn’t have our little Annenelia with us now. We would have lost her,” exclaimed her father, holding back tears. “I hate to think of people who didn’t have our luck.”
In speaking with people from the region, there were many who “overspent” last year while they could. “It looked like it was going up forever, so I went big on gifts, and now…, I wish I had it to do differently,” said Raul Bortanno, an Argentinian who’s traded since early 2017. “I’d reinvest it in people.”
Since the market’s recent depression it remains to be seen what kind of Christmas crypto is providing this year. If you’re traveling and looking for places which accept cryptocurrencies, you’ll find the locations in this piece, and many more, on this handy map https://coinmap.org.
If you’ve got stories about cryptocurrencies and Christmas, share them with us. They can be heartwarming or harrowing. These stories are what keep us connected. Do remember to stay close to loved ones this holiday season. Invest time in them. It’s the most significant investment you’ll make this year.
