21 Inc has come up with a new service to revolutionize the way people think about using bitcoin. In fact, the company now offers users an alternative email service that will reward people for every paid message they receive from outside of the network. When someone receives these funds, they can either keep the funds or donate it to one of the charitable organizations An interesting take on existing email services, albeit its popularity remains uncertain for now.
An Email Service That Pays in Bitcoin
It is interesting to see 21 Inc come up with a new service that virtually everyone in the world needs. It is impossible to live in this era without using an email address, even though most people use a service provider that shares their personal data with advertising companies and other third parties. This is where the 21 Inc service comes into the picture, as they are looking to do things very differently.
All users have to do is create their own 21 profile, and they will immediately receive an email address linked to that profile. Users outside of your 21 network can send you a message to contact you for jobs or have a question answered. Users are able to set their own price charged for answering these inquiries, which can range anywhere from US$1 to US$100. In doing so, 21 provides an effective paywall to fight spam and unsolicited contact requests.
One may argue this new service draws a few parallels to the LinkedIn network, and they would be right in that assumption. However, there is a big difference, as LinkedIn does not reward users for their presence, whereas the 21 service actively pays every user in bitcoin. This means recruiters and salespeople will have to spend a small amount of money to get their message out to people on the network. It takes money to make money after all.
Additionally, users who sign up for this service will be able to complete a few tasks in exchange for bitcoin. it is always nice to receive a small amount of bitcoin for every survey one reads, even if that means only getting paid a few cents in the process. If enough companies take a liking to this new project, it can become quite popular over the next few years. But until this happens, this service will be considered very “niche”.
In the end, it is nice to see 21 offer a service that looks different from traditional social networks and email services. Users receive an extra profile page with a link to the bitcoin community and they can make some money in the process. It will be interesting to see if this new 21 service can become quite popular over the next few years, as there is a need for additional professional social networks. All things considered, a positive development for bitcoin, even though it may not become the “next big thing” anytime soon.
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