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Video: Manhattan Newsstand Owner Accepts Bitcoins Instead Of Credit Cards
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 24, 2014
Modified Jan 24, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 24, 2014
Modified Jan 24, 2014
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We're still a few weeks (or more) away from the city's first bitcoin ATM machine, but that doesn't mean that digital cash isn't slowly gaining popularity all over the city. If you've got some bitcoins burning a hole through your e-wallet, stop your bitchcoining (BOO) and just head over to the newsstand at 34th Street and 2nd Avenue run by lifelong New Yorker Kay, who is the subject of the very impassioned (and quite repetitive) pro-bitcoin video below, made by EasyBlitz. "I think it's riskier dealing with credit card companies than it is with bitcoins," Kay said, explaining his devotion to the bitcoin. "With credit card companies you have chargebacks, whereas with bitcoin you don't."
EasyBitz is a payment processor that gives local businesses QR codes they can display to accept payments (as seen in the video). After the video took off on Reddit, they explained that this footage was just a rough cut, and they want to put a series together profiling pro-bitcoin merchants around NYC: "We're just trying our best to get brick and mortar merchants to take it. The ones we spoke too seemed so scared. We're not pro's just bitcoin geeks trying to make this work and get the ball rolling for merchants taking bitcoins."
In the meantime, if you're looking to get in on the currency of the future, we know a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy...
Tagged
bit coins
bodega
east side
kip's bay
manhattan
newsstand
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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