Every crypto enthusiast knows that, even though crypto transactions are fast and cheap, it is still hard to leave fiat currencies behind Blockchain based payments are still a novelty and it's not easy to find merchants who accept crypto
However if you look at a map that shows all the BCH accepting merchants, there is one country in Europe that pops out above all the others Slovenia The two million strong ex-Yugoslavian state is located in the heart of Europe and it's a thing of beauty The capital Ljubljana has a population of less than 300,000 Despite its size the city offers more places to pay with Bitcoin Cash than the entire US But why are cryptocurrencies so successful in Slovenia? How did this country become one of Europe's most prospering blockchain centers? Slovenia has been a pioneer in exploiting blockchain technology for years, and this endeavor is strongly supported by the highest level of local politics The situation in Slovenia is actually very positive
The country and the government is very loose towards the cryptocurrency and you know, it's it's legal to possess and trade cryptocurrencies The capital income from cryptocurrency is not subject to income taxation for individuals, which makes the country particularly attractive to entrepreneurs in the industry Legislators have a pivotal role in the creation of a blockchain friendly environment In addition, the local government is constantly studying which administrative areas could use blockchain technology Even the Ex-Primeminister Minister, dr
Miro Cerrar spoke about his government's intention of using blockchain in administration This legislative support offers an incentive to entrepreneurs thus Slovenia has numerous companies and startups in the blockchain industry Some of the best examples are: Origin Trail, Viberate and Eligma Origin Trail helps to bring transparency to international supply chain, while Viberate is focused on creating the world's biggest curated live music database with over 500,000 events using blockchain And then, there is Eligma
The company is building a smart commerce platform to create a unique shopping experience by using cryptocurrencies and AI technology Eligma has developed Elipay, a transaction system that enables in shop purchases with Bitcoin cash, Bitcoin Core, Ether and the ELI token Elipay is the single biggest reason Slovenian merchants accept crypto at an unprecedentedly high rate Especially in Ljubljana, where a shopping center called BTC city, is committed to be a functioning test lab for crypto payments With it's 500 stores, it is amongst the biggest shopping complexes in Europe and about a hundred of those stores offer in shop crypto payments through Elipay
And who could be better to test it, than Roger Ver? I think Slovenia can win the world's attention and build some world-changing businesses right here Like, the fact that there's so many people and businesses accepting Bitcoin Cash and cryptocurrency using Elipay that's a big deal, because cryptocurrencies are the future These kind of projects carry an important message for the crypto industry Cryptocurrencies have usability beyond trading, and are here to stay I think the entire point of cryptocurrency was preferred to be used as a currency
That means, to buy, and sell and pay for things around the world According to BTC City, there is a growing trend in usage and the number of Elipay wallet users already exceed 15,000 The Elipay system now accepts payments from the Bitcoincom Wallet application, allowing the owners of the more than four million user generated wallets, to make purchases in-store There's too many things to choose from, I don't even know what to buy
Following the launch of the Elipay system in 2018, even the ex-Prime Minister Miro Cerar was invited by the Secretary of State for a coffee he purchased with Bitcoin So, the Prime Minister came to see what Bitcoin City is, and one of the things was, we immediately installed for them Elipay on the phone, and we gave him some crypto and he said, so well now can I pay? You know, can I pay for the coffee that we just drank? And we said yeah, sure you can So he took the phone, he went, he paid and he actually made the first transaction over there in that restaurant and it was really awesome, because if the Prime Minister understands what's the purpose then we all, you know are winning The scene was also symbolic, it showed a future when paying with Bitcoin will be as common as paying with a credit card I think we'll see tens or even hundreds of thousands of physical shops accepting Bitcoin Cash in the not-too-distant future because the work of companies like Elipay and others
Right now Slovenia is a forerunner of a world where crypto only living isn't just a utopia, but an available alternative Just yesterday we went to the very first business in all Croatia to start accepting Bitcoin Cash using Elipay and that's the first of hundreds of businesses that are about to be rolled out in Croatia, thanks to the Elipay team and it's gonna spread from there to the rest of the world Whether the country becomes a stronghold for blockchain and cryptocurrencies is yet to be seen, but nothing shows Slovenia's enthusiasm more than the fact, that it is probably the only country with a monument dedicated to Bitcoin
