One of the major problems with cryptocurrencies is the limited practical use of those in day to day activities. Critics get the chance to argue that no one spends crypto assets as they were intended to be. It is almost impossible to complete shopping or traveling if you want to use crypto alone because most of the retail points will not accept those as a means of payment.
But payment with digital tokens has several advantages like lower transaction cost, more security, and no fear of snatching, etc. To make crypto assets more familiar and customary in the community, both groups i.e., buyers and sellers, should come forward.
Very few people have shown interest in this matter until recently a Gold Coast, Australian vlogger took a daring mission of exploring the world with crypto alone. She planned to travel to Europe for attending the annual London Blockchain Week to know more about what digital currency can offer when it comes to career opportunities for young women.
Jaide Barclay slams career for a 12-week crypto challenge
Jaide Barclay, a crypto vlogger who is also a co-host of the YouTube show 'Crypto with Jess & Jaide,' left her regular life on the Gold Coast of Australia to explore cryptocurrency opportunities. After attending the digital asset class in 2017, Barclay became highly enthusiastic about blockchain technology.
She started to invest in the crypto and gradually enriched her knowledge in this field. She said, "I bought Bitcoin just before the 2017 bull run. Then in late 2017 and early 2018, the market crashed". But she did not lose hope and thus kept an eye on prices.
This year she wanted to concentrate on crypto-assets fully, and with this ideology, she flew to Europe to attend the London Blockchain Week. Despite having a great deal of interest and good knowledge about cryptocurrency, Barclay denied any purchase with it. The factors that motivated her to take the challenge of 'living on crypto' include the love for travel and passion for learning more.
She received enormous support from the cryptocurrency community on Instagram as soon as she shared the idea on social media. "12 Week Crypto Challenge follows my journey across 16 cities living on cryptocurrency. I want to see if it's possible, what cities are easier, spread the word, and encourage user adoption." She wrote in her blog.
Barclay's experience as a crypto-only spender
So how Barclay's mission went? Was it too difficult to spend crypto? Barclay's perception of spending crypto is that it's not as hard as it sounds. You need to have the right information. She travelled across seven different countries and a total of 16 cities with crypto only to pay for goods and services.
A digital wallet set up with cryptocurrency was all she could spend during the trip. The crypto enthusiast demonstrated her thrilling journey through a vlog. She started in Australia and reached London travelling through Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, America, and the Bahamas.
She revealed that the tour was quite effortless when it comes to spending crypto because Google found the places that accept digital currencies. Before visiting a city, she Googled physical stores or websites that accept cryptocurrency as a means of payment for goods or services.
Recently Bitcoin has shown an upward price trend, and that made Barclay curb her spending towards the end of the 12-week challenge. This reluctance in expenditure during the price hike of crypto is called the HODL effect, a significant obstacle for widespread use of digital assets. Most people still consider crypto as a store of value or a means of investment only, not a common form of payment.
However, things are changing, and Barclay believes that eventually, more and more places will accept it, and people will get more familiar with it. She also hopes that when the market matures, and crypto prices become less volatile, people will change the attitude and start using it to pay for goods and services.