Payments
BTC (Lightning QR code)
Using Bitcoin over the Lightning network, or "Zapping Sats"as it is called, is perfect for purchases under €£$ 50 as well as micro-tips. If you are already set up with a Lightning wallet, you can zap us when you want!
1 - Download a Lightning wallet
There are many to choose from. If it helps you to dip your feet in the water, I use Blink Wallet. I know a lot of first-time users opt for Alby or Wallet of Satoshi.
This listing is another good reference point.
The usual suspect app stores carry wallets, but the sooner you are comfortable sourcing from alternative stores, the higher your personal privacy factor rises.
2 - Load up some Bitcoin onto your wallet
If you want an easy, and fast taste of the future of the internet, you could download Primal. It is a social media app on Nostr that can also set you up with a free lightning wallet and a simple way to load it up a few bucks' worth of BTC sats.
The Primal wallet option is recommended for newcomers only as a quick start trial. I don't recommend Primal Wallet top-ups for nyms who are no longer cool with paying for anything via Google and PayPal.
But Primal is a great client otherwise. Say hi. My nPub is
npub10dpmrjay77xcu6z2sxsv7h7dfl6puzcxgyd6ssxkwh9th8sdgk3sj39zws
Alternative options to buy BTC
- BTC is P2P money, so why not ask a Bitcoiner friend to sell you a few bucks' worth. Or buy them dinner in €£$ and ask them to send you BTC in return.
- Try earn some BTC. One two three sets of ideas.
- Join me on Nostr, say hi, and I will zap you some sats.
But if you want to get going with Lightning and play it "safe", try Primal above or mainstream pro-Bitcoin exchanges.
- Buy a small amount from Strike, Swan Bitcoin, River, Unchained. A good summary of a few of those options is here.
Once you have a Lightning wallet address and a few sats, you can participate in the Bitcoin Standard. The circular economy unleashed.
Ready to Zap sats? Open up your wallet.
- Select Send
- Scan the following QR code with your Lightning wallet.
- Input the amount you want to pay.
- Wait for a transaction fee to appear. (It will be tiny.)
- Confirm payment. Done.
Try sending me 5c-worth ⬇︎
The dangers of KYC
Bitcoin is all about being self-sovereign and not being entangled in a financial system that is evidently robbing us blind. Money printing causing inflation, devaluing our currency is a significant concern.
Bitcoin is not about being secret, but it is about privacy and not seeking permission from third parties to perform even the most mundane transactions. The banks have imposed restrictive regulations, allegedly to combat money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC). The claim that most of us are money launderers is absurd, and the idea that criminals care about regulations is even more ludicrous. It's a fallacy.
Ultimately, your goal should be to buy without KYC, and push back against the regulations that demand personal information when making any sort of banking transaction. These measures expose us to great risks of identity theft and far worse. Because if financial criminals are proficient at anything, it is hacking bank databases.
So, don't provide the crims with ammunition, and push for a more balanced and honest approach from governments who seem to be falling over themselves with measures that ultimately restrict our basic freedoms in the name of keeping us safe.
Zaprite for card payments and BTC
Stripe
We accept Stripe payments for the newsletter subscription, but the bank fees are killing us, as is the friction.
Why we price in Bitcoin and convert to Euros with a 12% premium!
As a small business with limited resources and time, we prefer to avoid the hassle and bureaucracy that often comes with traditional banking. By accepting Bitcoin, we can minimize our interactions with banks, which are increasingly burdened by regulations that can hinder simple business transactions.
Our base prices are set in BTC. To reflect the added complexity and stress of dealing with fiat currency payments, we convert the BTC price to € and charge a 12% premium for payments made in €, £, or $.
For our best price, we recommend you pay in BTC (Bitcoin).
Put it this way, with our pricing policy, heads you win, tails you win
If the price of eggs were quoted at say €4/dozen, that is 12% more than the equivalent BTC price. Or to make it easier, working it backwards from €, the BTC price will be 10.7% less - at the moment.
That is the starting point. As BTC gains in value against the Euro, the less BTC you need to cover €4. Conversely, if BTC loses value against the Euro, just pay for your eggs in €!
In order to help customers protect themselves against inflation, we are looking at holding the prices of our eggs for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, depending on the package they choose. By receiving payment for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months' worth of eggs, we too could budget and fix the price of the chicken feed we need to buy.
It might be maths, but is Bitcoin a scam?
Using Bitcoin for business is not a scam. It is perfectly legal asset and technology that enables a more efficient and streamlined way of doing business in the modern era. It is what we, along with thousands of small, medium and huge companies, including the world's wealthiest asset managers, believe is a step in the right direction for the future of commerce.
You may hear that paying with Bitcoin is risky. I can assure you the only reason not to receive the products you were expecting, is because the seller wasn't bona fide. No different than if you pay a crook with a Visa card. Bitcoin or € are just tools. BTC is the best tool ever though. You receive an invoice for Bitcoin payments by default. And any business these days can easily prepare the books to account for their BTC earnings to the tax authorities. Most tax jurisdictions have pretty clear rules on how they treat BTC for capital gains mainly.
