Get started with Bitcoin circular economies
(Originally published in https://web.archive.org/web/20221220112658/https://sovrnbitcoiner.com/get-started-with-bitcoin-circular-economies/)
Peer-to-peer electronic cash
In 2008, Satoshi released “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”, designed for online payments without state or corporate middlemen. Since then, millions of people around the world use Bitcoin to shop online, work remotely, send remittances and store wealth – no bank account required.
Bitcoin offers a uniquely private, self-sovereign and censorship-resistant payment method. Unlike banking, credit cards and Paypal, Bitcoin doesn't require government ID or corporate permission and is available to everyone; unlike Western Union, there are no high fees or long wait times; and unlike physical cash, Bitcoin can't be counterfeited, devalued via inflation or even abolished, and can be sent around the globe with a click of a button.
These advantages make Bitcoin an ideal currency for truly free markets. As the state is excluding regular people from jobs, finances, housing, online shopping and other daily needs via government ID requirements, vaccine passports or (future) social credit scores, an alternative marketplace, outside of state control, is necessary.
Bitcoin circular economies are the solution: Free uncensored markets where traders can buy or sell any products and services for Bitcoin. It's already possible to work remotely for Bitcoin, shop online with Bitcoin and exchange Bitcoin to cash to pay for food and rent, but Bitcoin circular economies will make it possible to fully live on a Bitcoin standard, independent from the state's captured markets.
Similar to agorism, Bitcoin circular economies don't need state permission, corporate acceptance or mass adoption in order to succeed. Instead, these markets thrive on a decentralized peer-to-peer basis for people who need them, with a focus on individuals, communities and small businesses. For example, it would be difficult to convince Walmart's CEO to accept Bitcoin (and to avoid KYC'ed payment gateways such as Strike and Bitpay, which are just as censored as the banking system). In comparison, a local convenience store, family-owned restaurant or farmers market would be more interested in an uncensorable, independent, low-fee payment method like Bitcoin, and would be happy to use a KYC-free payment gateway like BTCPayServer or a mobile wallet like Samourai to accept payments.
Here are some tips on how to accept Bitcoin in your business, work remotely for Bitcoin, sell products in peer-to-peer marketplaces, and build local and global circular economies.
Accept Bitcoin in your business
Accepting Bitcoin in your business gives your customers the option of fast, secure and private payments. In comparison to credit cards, Bitcoin offers lower fees, faster settlements and no risk of chargebacks, fraud or deplatforming. Bitcoin also offers comparable privacy to physical cash, as no personal details are required to send or receive Bitcoin. You could even give customers a 10% discount for Bitcoin payments (or a 10% fee for fiat payments).
If you have an online store, it's easy to accept Bitcoin via BTCPayServer, SatSale or Blockonomics for WooCommerce, Shopify or stand-alone stores. Unlike OpenNode, Strike and Bitpay, these self-sovereign payment gateways enable your business to accept Bitcoin privately and securely – no government ID, company registration or bank account required.
For brick-and-mortar stores, you can use BTCPayServer's point-of-sale app on a tablet, or conveniently accept Bitcoin payments on your phone with a mobile wallet such as Samourai or BlueWallet. Just calculate the total price as usual, then enter it into your Bitcoin wallet and show the customer the QR code. The customer then scans the QR code with their mobile wallet and pays with a click of a button. Fast, cashless payments without a credit card.
For a list of stores that already accept Bitcoin, check AcceptedHere, Cryptwerk, Lightning Network Stores and CoinMap. In addition, here is a “Why accept Bitcoin” brochure to share with your favorite businesses.
Peer-to-peer marketplaces
Peer-to-peer marketplaces such as BitcoinP2PMarketplace, Bitejo and Mobazha offer a place to buy and sell products for Bitcoin, similar to Craigslist or Ebay. You can sell products that you don't need anymore, such as your old phone, clothes or car; post a “looking to buy” ad to find what you need; or offer services, such as lawncare, apartment rentals or proxy merchant services. In addition, Bitvendo is an upcoming open source, self-hostable, federated marketplace, which will enable people to easily open their own online store or multi-vendor marketplace and join a global Bitcoin shopping network.
Jobs
You can also earn Bitcoin via remote work – for example, as a software developer, writer, translator, artist or musician. Working for Bitcoin is a great on-ramp, whether it's a full-time job, a side income or occasional gigs. Microlancer is a KYC-free Bitcoin freelancing website where employers can post jobs and workers can offer their services, while reviews and escrow protect users against scams. FreelanceForCoins is another KYC-free freelancing website that supports direct payments (no escrow). Additionally you can post jobs or looking for work ads to BitcoinP2PMarketplace and Bitejo. In comparison to fiat freelancing websites such as Fiverr and Upwork, no bank account or government ID is required, there are no high fees or risk of locked funds, and it's possible to work pseudonymously.
If you are a content creator, you can include your Bitcoin address or Paynym in your videos, articles, music or artwork to receive donations from fans. Unlike Patreon, Ko-fi and Open Collective, Bitcoin allows you to receive donations pseudonymously without Paypal or a bank account, and isn't reliant on a centralized platform. In addition, you can post your content to Stacker.news to earn Bitcoin tips.
On- and off-ramps
Other than earning Bitcoin from jobs or selling products for Bitcoin, you can also buy Bitcoin with fiat. With peer-to-peer exchanges like Bisq, HodlHodl, Robosats and AgoraDesk, you can buy Bitcoin via cash by mail, cash in person, money orders and gift cards (such as Amazon, Google Play, Steam and Paysafecard). KYC-free Bitcoin ATMs are a convenient option to buy Bitcoin locally with cash. In addition, you can look for a local Azte.co voucher vendor to buy Bitcoin vouchers for cash (or become a vendor yourself). It's also possible to mine Bitcoin at home with specialized ASIC hardware.
If you don't find what you need in Bitcoin-friendly stores or P2P marketplaces, check CoinCards, TheBitcoinCompany and Bitrefill for gift cards to hundreds of stores, including Amazon, Walmart, Uber and AirBnB. With PayWithMoon (US), CoinDebit (US) and TheBitcoinCompany (Intl), you can buy anonymous Visa gift cards that work online and in brick-and-mortar stores (via Google/Apple Pay). Proxy merchants like Proxystore, ShopInBit and Sovereign Stack Rerouter make it possible to pay with Bitcoin in any online store.
Conclusion
Bitcoin circular economies provide a unique opportunity to trade freely, outside of state censorship and corporate deplatforming. Consider to accept Bitcoin in your business, ask your favorite stores to accept Bitcoin or join a Bitcoin peer-to-peer marketplace – and build a truly free market for all.
More info:
KYC-free Bitcoin circular economies: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/kyc-free-bitcoin-circular-economies
How to buy, earn and spend KYC-free Bitcoin (without ID or a bank account): https://agorism.blog/anarkio/buy-earn-and-spend-bitcoin-and-monero
Building a circular economy with Bitejo.com: https://monerochan.news/article/4
Crypto Agorism: Free markets for a free world: https://tube.tchncs.de/w/tPvohTaiocfg5LEsFjGqHN (Slides: https://agorism.blog/anarkio/crypto-agorism)