Bitcoin acceptance seems to be growing all over the world. Several shop owners are openly advertising their acceptance of cryptocurrency payments, which is nice to see. One coffee shop in Saigon uses a large sign to tell people they accept bitcoin, even though that is not what got people’s attention when the image was posted on Reddit. The smaller sign for laughing gas stuck on the wall, however, has raised a lot of questions.
Saigon Seemingly Embraces Bitcoin In Multiple Ways
Any small or large store accepting bitcoin payments is another validation of how cryptocurrency payments are here to stay. Slowly but surely, global adoption of bitcoin is growing, even though it is taking place at a slower pace than most people like to see. Over in Saigon, buying coffee with bitcoin has become a lot easier recently, although that is not necessarily the only thing one can buy with cryptocurrency these days.
The sign promoting the acceptance of bitcoin has been subject to some jokes among the bitcoin community. While the prices next to the item reflect the value in Dong – the local currency – some Reddit users feel it represents something else entirely. One user even suggested how these numbers reflect the number of bitcoins one needs to pay for a coffee or a tea. Paying 22,000 BTC for a coffee would be quite strange at current prices, although it certainly would have been a possibility in 2012.
Another idea was how the numbers represent the amount of Satoshi one needs to pay per kilobyte to have their bitcoin transaction confirmed. A clear hint the bitcoin community is not too happy with the recent network congestion issues, which drive the transaction fees up in the process. A good jest, nonetheless.
What really got people’s attention, however, is how the coffee vendor also sells laughing gas. It is unclear if bitcoin payments are accepted for N2O, albeit that seems highly likely. A lot of people are surprised one can purchase laughing gas on the street, even though it is sold in a lot of Vietnamese bars. It is a cultural difference, that much is certain.
In the end, it is good to see bitcoin gain more traction in Vietnam, as it is one of the many regions where cryptocurrency can make a big impact. Using bitcoin to buy coffee has been possible in some regions already, and Fold even allows some users to buy Starbucks coffee with cryptocurrency. It is evident the coffee industry would be a primary target for bitcoin enthusiasts all over the world. Having more options to spend cryptocurrency is a good thing, though, regardless of where it is made possible.
Header image courtesy of Shutterstock
