A few years ago, cryptocurrency was largely seen as a mysterious digital asset with very little real world application. Some would go as far as to say that cryptocurrency was something that criminals used to commit their heinous acts. Fast forward to 2019, and those assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, cryptocurrency has grown tremendously not only from a technological aspect, but also through an increase in real world adoption.
In other words, consumers and interested parties can now use crypto to purchase a wide range of commodities throughout the world. The following is a list of things you can purchase with cryptocurrency that you might not have known about.
Food and Beverages
In 2019, crypto users are now able to purchase food and beverages with coins like Bitcoin. There are tales popping up on Social Media from all over the world that customers are purchasing pizza or coffee with crypto. But, purchasing food from small restaurants isn’t the only possibility for crypto spenders.
Perhaps, one of the most recognizable brands in the entire food and beverage industry is Starbucks. Earlier this year, the major coffee chain declared that customers can start purchasing their coffee and other food items with crypto. This announcement, in itself, is a huge deal for cryptocurrency because it can impact millions of customers throughout the world.
If that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, Whole Foods markets across the nation are also accepting crypto as a form of payment. So, not only can you get a coffee from Starbucks to jumpstart your work day, but you can also do your weekly grocery shopping with crypto.
Other major businesses like Baskin Robbins and Jamba Juice have also joined this trend of accepting crypto as a form of payment. These major food and beverage retailers are expected to be the trailblazers for an industry that will almost certainly embrace the emergence of cryptocurrency in the immediate future.
Online Games an In-Game Products
One of the first industries to fully embrace crypto was the gaming industry. The blockchain technology, which is the tech that crypto is built on, became a very popular platform with gaming developers due to the advanced speed, efficiency and power. So, not only were developers rushing to transfer games to blockchain tech, they were also building new online games with cryptocurrency as a means to make in-game purchases, to buy the games outright, or to fuel the tech itself.
The Tron blockchain is a great example of how this new tech would become a popular foundation for gaming developers. In Q1 of 2019, Tron generated over $1.6 billion dollars and had an estimated total of 432,000 users. There are nearly 250 DApps on the Tron network with thousands of daily users who are buying games or purchasing in-game products with crypto. The most popular form of cryptocurrency used to make these purchases is Tron’s very own coin TRX.
Flights and Hotels
Are you planning a personal, business or family trip in the near future? If so, then you might want to consider purchasing your travel and lodging expenses with cryptocurrency. Popular online travel and flight websites like Expedia and CheapAir are accepting Bitcoin directly or through a third party payment server. In fact, you might be surprised to know that CheapAir has actually been accepting Bitcoin payments since 2013. They’ve been ahead of the game and will continue to embrace this digital form of payments.
Technological Gadgets
It’s a natural fit for the revolutionizing technology of blockchain to be embraced in the technological consumer sector. It seems like a no-brainer that crypto users should be able to purchase the latest technological gadgets like computers, tablets, TVs and more. That’s exactly why one of the world’s largest technology e-retailers Newegg accepts crypto payments.
Newegg is one of the most popular online sources for the latest technological gadgets in a wide range of niches like TVs, PC’s and laptops, networking, gaming, and just about every type of electronic you can think of.
If you aren’t that tech savvy, and the thought of using a site like Newegg gives you anxiety, then Overstock.com is a great place to shop at. This massive online retailer not only sells electronics and gadgets, but just about everything else you could need in life.
Other Products
The amazing thing about the increased acceptance of crypto is that you can purchase just about anything you would be able to with money or credit cards.
If you are the kind of person who prefers to get gift cards for you friends and family members on the holidays then Gyft is the perfect place to get them. They have gift cards for over 200 major retailers. And, they accept Bitcoin as a form of payment for these cards.
Whether it’s a gift or for personal pleasure, major jewelers like Reeds Jewelers accepts crypto payments when purchasing jewelry. Other expensive goods that customers can purchase with crypto are luxury cars like Bentley’s or Lamborghinis from various upscale dealerships.
If you prefer to exchange your cryptocurrency for precious metals like gold and silver, companies like JM Bullion and GramGold allow you to purchase these items with Bitcoin. Perhaps, real estate is your preferred choice of investments rather than metals or crypto. Real Estate companies are starting to accept crypto as a form of payment when purchasing a new home or land.
In addition to these major types of purchases, you can also use crypto to pay for satellite TV, buy Microsoft products, donate to charities, use online services like WordPress or WooCommerce, buy tickets to sporting events, purchase games from GameStop, and even pay your taxes.
Like credit cards and online payment services, cryptocurrency is becoming widely accepted throughout the world. Within a year, it will be even more prevalent. And, within a few years, we will hardly remember a time where crypto wasn’t used to purchase daily goods and services.