Ever spent so much that it literally felt like you were burning money? While it’s never a good idea to spend more than you can afford, the idea of burning your money isn’t quite as bad as it used to be. Of course, we’re not saying that you should unfold a wad of dollar bills and casually set them alight, but if you did it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Why, we hear you cry? Well, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can now pay for almost anything and everything without using physical cash. In fact, you don’t even need to use a government-controlled currency such as the US Dollar or Great British Pound if you don’t want to.
Modern technology has literally revolutionized the payment world in recent years and by far the biggest innovation is cryptocurrencies. Essentially a monetary system created by the Internet and for the Internet, cryptocurrencies aren’t subject to any government sanctions and are an extremely efficient way to pay online.
So I Can Throw Away My Cash and Use Cryptocurrencies?
In simple terms the answer to the question above is yes, but there is one caveat. The most popular cryptocurrency is Bitcoin and a single Bitcoin (which is worth $610 at the time of writing) is created through a process known as mining. Mining basically involves a series of computers working to solve complex equations. Once an equation is solved, the system is rewarded with a Bitcoin which is then logged and added to the network.
Now, unless you have a room full of high-powered computer capable of mining Bitcoins, you will need some form of standard currency in order to purchase them. Using a combination of exchanges and e-wallets, users can buy Bitcoins (or pieces of which are known as Bits) and then spend them online.
However, once you’ve successfully purchased some Bitcoins, you could conceivably never use a traditional currency ever again. In fact, if you look at the market as it stands today, you can do everything from play blackjack to pay for a flight using nothing more than Bitcoin.
Now I’ve Burnt My Cash, What Can I Buy?
Whatever you’re into, you can now indulge your passion with Bitcoin. To get you started, here are some of the most interesting options:
Casino Chips – Cash might be king in Las Vegas, but online it’s fast becoming an antiquity. Vegas Casino is one company that’s fully embraced Bitcoin by creating a site that accepts nothing but the cryptocurrency. Unlike other operators that are slowly merging Bitcoin with other currencies, www.vegascasino.io handles deposits, bets and games only in Bitcoin. For savvy players who value security, this setup is great because thanks to Bitcoin’s inherent safety features, a player’s bankroll is highly secure in this environment.
International Flights – Want to jet off around the world and not touch your wallet once? No problem. British Airways, Polish airline LOT, AirBaltic and, if you’re looking to fly somewhere really far (like Space), Virgin Galactic, will let you book a seat using Bitcoin. What’s the advantage of paying for a flight using Bitcoin? Because the currency’s value can fluctuate more than traditional currencies, you could actually get a flight cheaper than if you used the dollars in your wallet.
Beer – If you’re a fan of beer and take a trip to the UK, don’t worry if you forget your wallet. Forward-looking pubs such as The Haymakers in Cambridge, England, allow you to pay for a pint using your phone, a scanner and some Bitcoins. In fact, of all the cities in the world, Cambridge is a big fan of Bitcoin beers with two pubs accepting fresh air for booze.
As you can see, Bitcoin and its cryptocurrency peers are reshaping the way we pay. While we might be a few years away from torching our bank notes, there’s no reason you can’t start stoking the fire in preparation for the day we literally start burning money.