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How to Buy Weed With Bitcoin

24/03/2020 by Idelto Editor

So you’ve got a little bitcoin to your name but are all out of weed. What you gonna do? Well, if you’re fortunate enough to live in a region where marijuana is legal, there are ways to exchange the two. While if you don’t inhabit such an enlightened area, rumor has it there are still ways and means to get your fix without touching fiat. Here are five options for legally buying weed with bitcoin.

Also read: California City Official Uses Bitcoin Cash to Purchase Cannabis

How to Swap Sats for Sativa

Bitcoin and weed go all the way back to the Silk Road in 2011, and the duo remain staples of the darknet. The weed world has come a long way since then, however, with scores of U.S. states legalizing recreational use of marijuana starting with Colorado and Washington in 2012. Today, medical marijuana is legal in 29 U.S. states and it’s recreationally legal in nine. Around the world, 30 countries have legalized medical marijuana, while there are four countries where it is recreationally legal (Canada, South Africa, Uruguay, and Georgia) subject to certain conditions, and dozens more where it is decriminalized.

Unless you reside in Asia, you’re probably not far from a country where it’s legal to blaze up, and are almost certainly near a locale where the authorities have no interest in what you do in your own home, provided you’re not bothering anyone. Failing that, you can at least benefit from the non-psychoactive part of the marijuana plant, by legally purchasing CBD products such as coffee with bitcoin. However, with a number of vendors willing to ship weed directly to your door, it’s possible to swap sats for sativa without leaving the house. Here are five ways to buy weed with bitcoin.

Visit a Physical Dispensary

There are medical marijuana dispensaries dotted all over the U.S. and Canada, while the Netherlands is home to an array of coffee shops that serve the same purpose, with a handful of other European nations following suit. Bitcoin acceptance is very much piecemeal, but if you can find a store that will let you spend sats, you’ll be hooked up for as long as you’re in the neighborhood. Ohana dispensary in Emeryville, California, accepts crypto, and last year was the setting for the first crypto purchase of marijuana by an elected official. A few other dispensaries along America’s West Coast, including Seattle, are also known to accept bitcoin.

Visit an Online Marijuana Dispensary

If you’re fortunate enough to live in a region where weed is legal, you should be able to find an online store that will ship to you. Naturally you’ll need to pass verification checks, which include proving your residence, but once approved, you’re free to order all manner of THC-laced goods, from edibles to smokables. Canadians can get hooked up by Herb Approach which accepts BTC. Current deals include an ounce of Cheese for CA$170 – that’s 40% off – or a half ounce of Violator Kush for CA$87. The store also sells extremely potent shatter hash.

Visit a Seed Bank

If you’re choking for a smoke, this option isn’t for you. Bitcoiners in less of a hurry, however, may like the idea of ordering cannabis seeds by mail, bought with BTC. Dutch company Royal Queen Seeds accepts bitcoin and ships globally. The highly rated store stocks a wide range of autoflowering, feminized, and CBD seeds as well as CBD oil. Choose from such strains as Northern Light Automatic, Quick One, and perennial favorite Amnesia Haze. Bitcoin holders are known for their low time preference. If you can wait 12 weeks, while lovingly tending your crops, you’ll take receipt of some of the finest cannabis known to man.

Other online seed stores that accept bitcoin include U.K-based Attitude Seedbank and Seedsman, which promises offers such as three feminized white widow seeds free when you spend €30.

Visit the Darknet

Technically speaking, none of the darknet vendors selling weed are licensed to do so. Technically speaking, that’s not your problem. If it’s legal to consume weed where you live, who are you to police the sellers and worry about whether their paperwork’s correct and tax is filed? Leave that to the cyber cops. If you can access the darknet, you can find your way to a store that’s stocked with everything you need to make it through long weekends, quarantine, and extended house arrest.

What other methods of legally buying weed with bitcoin have you heard of? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post How to Buy Weed With Bitcoin appeared first on Bitcoin News.

Bitcoin Cash Meetups Go Virtual in Japan to Combat Virus, Allowing Members to Choose

15/03/2020 by Idelto Editor

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, BCH meetup groups in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, have announced they will be offering a virtual option for those wishing to avoid crowded places and to participate digitally, while still supporting merchants. In Tokyo, physical venues will still be independently booked for those opting to meet face-to-face, allowing bitcoiners to choose their own experience. News.Bitcoin.com asked organizers some questions about the announcement, how it will work, and difficulties in coming to consensus on how to best navigate this challenge.

Also read: These Online Stores Will Sell You Masks, Gloves, Emergency Items for Cryptocurrency

Japan BCH Meetups Go Virtual

Finding a local Bitcoin Cash meetup group near you isn’t hard to do. As BCH enthusiasts are all around the world, a simple scan of Bitcoin.com’s Events page map can have you meeting up with your fellow crypto heads, chewing the fat, and supporting local BCH merchants in no time.

In light of the current coronavirus health concerns, two of these meetups — until now canceled for the month of March — have announced they will be heading to the virtual realm to help protect their health and that of others, while still getting together to support Bitcoin Cash. In an announcement shared today by Tokyo Bitcoin Cash Meetup organizer Akane Yokoo, members were notified that both Osaka and Tokyo bitcoin cashers can now get together as one group online:

Our virtual meetups will start this coming Wednesday March 18th from 7:30pm and we plan to host every Wednesday at the same time when our physical meetups happen. To join, please RSVP on Meetup.com and we will send you instructions and links to join the meetup. We will also update details for each meetup on Meetup.com including the venues.

Organizers Weigh in on the Decision, Discuss Details of Virtual Meetups

Tokyo organizers Aaron Gutman and Akane Yoko, along with Osaka organizers Yumeno and Cheaplightning, answered some questions for news.Bitcoin.com, weighing in on the organization process.

“Most of us are already engaged in some form of remote work and are accustomed to using online collaboration tools, and some of us are pretty big on VR,” said Gutman. Yumeno of the Osaka group noted:

It will also give the somewhat small Osaka community a better opportunity to mix with the larger Tokyo community. I am looking forward to hearing the Osaka meetup community members perspective.

In her own read.cash post on the matter, Yokoo noted some of the potential difficulties and also possible opportunities of the virtual meetups, which will continue indefinitely until the virus situation normalizes. “One of the things we were concerned that we won’t be able to do with online meetups is it is hard to create an environment where people can talk to whoever they like, with the language they choose if the tool only allows certain people to talk at a time such as a zoom call.” She continued:

VR (Virtual Reality) should be able to solve these issues all together but it will be expensive to make this happen soon. We do hope to eventually offer the VR options, while allowing people without it to be able to join too.

When asked about struggles in addressing the challenging COVID-19 situation, she responded: “It had been frustrating because we wanted to keep hosting meetups because many of our members wished to continue the meetups but at the same time we did not want to encourage opportunities for people to get sick and spread it.”

Cheaplightning also expressed frustration with the difficult situation:

At our last meetup I had to really think about if it is rude to be wearing a mask and offer alcohol tissues to people. There is this weird stigma and sort of damned if you do damned if you don’t aspect to it.

In fact, though official meetups had been canceled for March, some resolute bitcoin cashers in Tokyo nonetheless ventured out and participated in their own meetups at bitcoin cash-friendly merchants for the first two weeks of the month. Yokoo clarified:

Even though we do not want to encourage members to go out and get sick, members should be free to do whatever they choose to do. If they choose to get together physically, the merchants are open for business as usual (look at our Meetup.com group to find which venues are scheduled for each meetup).

Cheaplightning of the Osaka meetup elaborates: “Of course people are free to still meet however they like, but we will not be organizing anything here ourselves for a while. I think of our community as friends. So it is certainly possible that we may meet a few of them.”

Gutman, for his part, stresses the virtual meetups should be preferred, saying, “I feel strongly that, regardless of whatever we do on our own accord, as a group we should always make positive social choices and demonstrate leadership. I urge those who have chosen to attend physical meetups to choose the virtual meetup.”

Supporting Merchants a Big Concern

One of the main concerns of members was how to continue supporting merchants, while some members choose to meet virtually. “We came up with a good solution for that,” says Yokoo, “For each meetup, we pick one venue and we provide a BCH address of that merchant to the virtual meetup participants. Members can feel free to donate BCH, as if they are buying drinks at actual meetups. I feel like this is a good solution for people who want to help the merchants but don’t want to go out, and the same way for the merchants.”

Yumeno notes: “I also feel bad for our regular BCH accepting merchants. Even at our last meetup the owner said that their customer numbers were low. I want to support them. Our members might come even with the danger as they are passionate. But it is putting more people at risk.”

While it may be debatable how big a risk factor people already out and about meeting up and taking the proper precautions is, supporting merchants is a critical concern that unifies the organizers.

Really enjoyed the #BitcoinCash meetup today. First time at this new place!😋

Even got some of the customers to download a wallet.

I look forward to onboarding more #BCH merchants to come this year.🎉 pic.twitter.com/vOSkAPqiwa

— Bitcoin Cast (@BitcoinCast) March 15, 2020

Meetups Around the World Going Strong

In spite of COVID-19 fears, bitcoin cash meetups worldwide are resilient, with new meetups emerging regularly. From newly announced groups in the Philippines, to upcoming events in Ghana which will help spur support for BCH House Ghana — an educational hub for crypto — permissionless, peer-to-peer cash is steaming forward. User Bitcoin Cast, tweeting about meeting at a new spot in Pasadena, California this week, said: “Really enjoyed the #BitcoinCash meetup today. First time at this new place! Even got some of the customers to download a wallet. I look forward to onboarding more #BCH merchants to come this year.”

In Venice, Italy, where the effects of the virus are being felt extremely heavily and the entire state is under quarantine, bitcoiners of the BTC variety are holding virtual meetups.

So whether meeting on the virtual plane as Tokyo and Osaka will now be able to, or in a local shop, bitcoin cashers can nevertheless see the indomitable power of peer-to-peer cash continue, even in these uncertain times, until meetups in these cities can resume as normal.

What do you think of the idea of virtual meetups in light of the COVID-19 situation? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Graham Smith, fair use.

Did you know you can buy and sell BCH privately using our noncustodial, peer-to-peer Local Bitcoin Cash trading platform? The Local.Bitcoin.com marketplace has thousands of participants from all around the world trading BCH right now. And if you need a bitcoin wallet to securely store your coins, you can download one from us here.

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Court Rejects Ripple’s Bid to Dismiss Class Action Lawsuit Filed by XRP Investors

27/02/2020 by Idelto Editor

A court case that has the future of XRP at stake continues after Ripple’s motion to dismiss it was rejected by a court in California. The plaintiffs claim that the blockchain company sold the coin as an unregistered security and demand compensation. Ripple tried to avoid the case with its defense team insisting the lawsuit had been filed too late.

Also read: XRP Plummets 56% in One Candle, Bitmex Traders Outraged Over Flash Crash

Ripple’s Attempt to Dismiss XRP Court Case Fails

The consolidated class action lawsuit was filed last year by a group of investors who accused Ripple, its XRP II subsidiary, and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse of misleading them about the nature of XRP. In early December, the defendants asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to dismiss the case. A ruling on their request was expected last month but on Jan. 15 the court took the motion under submission and postponed its decision, as news.Bitcoin.com reported.

Although Ripple has maintained XRP is not a security, its legal representatives tried to obtain the dismissal on grounds that were different from the substance. They claimed the statute of repose had expired as the case was not filed within three years of the coin’s initial offering, and that the lead plaintiff, Bradley Sostack, bought XRP from a third party in January 2018.

Despite dismissing some of the defendants’ claims on the state level, during a hearing on Feb. 25 District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that the securities claim was not invalidated under federal law, allowing the lawsuit to proceed. “Here, based on plaintiff’s complaint and the judicially noticeable facts proffered, the court cannot conclude that defendants’ first bona fide public offer to sell XRP occurred before August 5, 2016,” the court stated.

Fate of XRP Undecided Yet

Investments in XRP were made even before 2015 but the public did not learn that Ripple was selling the cryptocurrency, currently the third largest by market capitalization, until August 2016. The court further notes that while the defendants did acknowledge various 2013 offers and sales in their May 2015 settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, “the sales activity identified in that settlement does not show that defendants targeted the general public when offering to sell XRP.”

The outcome of the class action lawsuit against Ripple is likely to determine the fate of XRP. If the court recognizes the cryptocurrency as an unregistered security, its value could tumble sharply as it is delisted from regulated exchanges. But even a positive development for Ripple and its management in this case may not bring an end to the problems with the XRP coin.

Federal regulators are yet to determine their stance on XRP’s status. The crypto can either be treated as a security and fall under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which can file its own lawsuit for violation of federal securities laws, or as a commodity, in which case it will be regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

What are your expectations about the future of Ripple’s XRP? Share your thoughts on the court case in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Do you want to keep an eye on moving cryptocurrency prices? Visit our Bitcoin Markets tool to get real-time price updates, and head over to our Blockchain Explorer tool to view all previous BCH and BTC transactions.

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CoinDeal Launches Crypto Debit Card With Great Benefits

25/02/2020 by Idelto Editor

The cryptocurrency exchange founders with years of experience in finance, Blockchain, and crypto industry, have prepared a pre-order of a CoinDeal debit card. Now, cryptocurrency payments will be easier than ever, at any time and place. If you want to buy a coffee directly from your exchange wallet, this card is the answer to that wish.

And for those who know about Blockchain, trading, and marketing, the platform gives a chance to join the international CoinDeal team – become a country manager, to animate local communities, and contribute to Blockchain adoption.

CoinDeal crypto-FIAT exchange

As per the recent US launch, the CoinDeal Global team is now eager to grow. Apart from new debit cards, the company recently launched mobile iOS and Android apps and has released its own CDL token that 90% of was given away for free to users.

CoinDeal is famous for ensuring the highest security standards and being responsive to users’ needs. Each new feature is consulted with them, including new coins entering the exchange, by voting. The platform gives a chance to get extra tokens for regular voting for the next crypto!

Free Debit Cards and 20 CDL Tokens extra

CoinDeal debit cards will enable crypto-holders the payments all over the world, as well as cash withdrawals from ATMs in local currencies. The pre-order of this crypto debit card is free, and each card request is rewarded with 20 CDL. Users can trade them immediately on the market. But, it’s also worth to wait until the card arrives and benefit from being a CDL Token holder.

Only the first 50,000 users can pre-order for free

Receiving a CoinDeal crypto debit card is possible, when

a user is registered and verified at the second level of verification (address verification is required to send the card) on the CoinDeal exchange,
a user has downloaded and connected mobile application,
a user has made the first deposit and first trade on any of the exchange markets.

However, CoinDeal points out that as of now it is pre-order, and the final distribution date depends on the interest in the Card, and service providers agreements.

Become CoinDeal Country Ambassador

Participation in this program assumes close cooperation with the company. The duties of such an ambassador will include i. a. the organization of conferences and events, as well as sharing the knowledge about the cryptocurrencies. The Country Ambassador will be the face of CoinDeal, representing the exchange in his home country, for example, in the USA (Florida or California), Korea, Indonesia, or Spain.

Contact Email Address
[email protected]

Supporting Link
https://coindeal.com/

This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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Cannabis Buzz Harshed by Regulations, Cash Shortage While Cryptocurrency Is Ready to Light Up

18/02/2020 by Idelto Editor

Recent reports show that major marijuana companies are running out of money, and businesses in Canada are especially in danger of becoming illiquid. Major producers in the weed-friendly nation have just over 6 months of cash on hand, according to the information, and comparable companies in the U.S. just over one year of liquidity. In the U.S. the falling cannabis stocks and sluggish market present an even greater threat, since companies cannot file bankruptcy as the plant is still illegal under federal law. All this seems to beg the question: where is crypto in these trying times?

Also Read: California City Official Uses Bitcoin Cash to Purchase Cannabis

Businesses Running Out of Weed Money, Black Market Still Thriving

The recent wave of cannabis legalization across the United States and Canada brought with it a surge in cannabis company stock prices and high hopes of big money and a thriving industry. Some also speculated legalization would curtail black market spending. The outcome however, has been a hard comedown for many in the sector, where only the biggest players able to pay for necessary compliance measures, overhead and other fees can compete and secure funding.

Many companies have not been able to keep up with demand or establish locations convenient to their customers due to laws and regulations. As BBC News Toronto’s Robin Levinson-King reported in December:

Red tape and a cap on the number of cannabis retail outlets have made rollout slow. Retail licenses were awarded by lottery, and the province held the number of licenses at 24, to serve a population of 14.5m.

A recent article from Bloomberg, citing a report on liquidity in the industry, claims the most endangered company is Canada’s Aurora Cannabis Inc., with only 2.3 months of cash remaining. A previous report from the same outlet shows cannabis stocks tumbling since a peak in spring 2019, resulting in a scramble by companies to take cover from incoming calls on their debts.

Meanwhile, the black market is able to provide enough product, locations, and customized service to result in the majority of Canadians still preferring to use illegal cannabis.

As of December, Statistics Canada maintains that about 75% of users still use illegal marijuana, according to Levinson-King’s report. This is no surprise, really, given the inefficient nature of government central planning, but even with these dreary numbers and regulatory challenges, it seems that major cannabis companies — as well as alternative markets — could benefit from greater integration of crypto solutions. With bankruptcy proceedings for some groups already underway, one wonders what these companies have to lose by trying to target the crypto segment.

The Canna-Market Has Spoken, Prefers Decentralized Solutions

Aside from the obvious utility of crypto for purchasing marijuana on darknet marketplaces, the bitcoin and cannabis spaces have great potential synergy even above ground, in legally compliant situations. As news.Bitcoin.com reported back in September, a Berkeley City council member purchased cannabis with bitcoin cash at a local dispensary, and key benefits of crypto were discussed at the demonstration.

Assets like BCH can provide vendors a way to save on transaction fees, when customers pay with these assets in lieu of credit cards and other e-payment systems. Cryptocurrencies also help with access to banking services not provided by many traditional banks, pressured by legal restrictions to avoid businesses in the cannabis industry. With mounting bankruptcy cases, lack of banking services, and remarkable inability to meet customer demand, it seems high time lawmakers and regulators fired up a bowl of their own, perhaps, and reconsidered.

Not only do the crypto and cannabis communities share a significant cultural overlap, but in Canada and the U.S. most consumers have already voted with their money to support alternative markets, as they provide better service. Decentralized money such as bitcoin — like decentralized cannabis dealers — provides convenience and customization of the purchase process. Should governments want to get in on this cash cow, acceptance of crypto and a relinquishing of neurotic central planning of the industry seems to be a must.

Do you think crypto could be a boon to the cannabis industry? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, fair use.

Did you know you can verify any unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction with our Bitcoin Block Explorer tool? Simply complete a Bitcoin address search to view it on the blockchain. Plus, visit our Bitcoin Charts to see what’s happening in the industry.

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