After the creation of bitcoin, many hoped it would quickly become a replacement for traditional currency and have a wide variety of day-to-day uses. It’s been just over ten years, and the currency is still mostly used for investments and trading. But what can you buy with bitcoin, in a general sense?
Well, more than you might think. Many BTC holders are sitting with their coins, blatantly unaware that there are more uses for the currency than there appears to be on a surface level. Of course, the currency is not as widely accepted as everyone would like it to be, but industries and businesses are slowly coming on board and beginning to accept BTC as payments.
If you’re keen to start spending the currency that has been sitting in your wallet for ages, then look no further. In this article, we answer the question “what can you buy with bitcoin,” with all sorts of items, from burgers to online services and more.
Considerations Before Buying With Bitcoin
Before we tell you what you’re dying to know – “what can you buy with bitcoin?” – there are two important considerations you need to be reminded of.
Firstly, each business has the right to allow or not allow bitcoin payments as they please. Of course, some businesses might find BTC payments useful and worthwhile. Others, however, might not see the benefits thereof.
Here, we must remember that we can’t go everywhere expecting to pay in BTC. Often, people think that because one restaurant allowed it, all have the facilities for it. That is most certainly not the case.
The second, and probably more important, thing to remember when considering “what can you buy with bitcoin” is that in some places, the use of the currency is illegal or highly regulated. While universality is one of bitcoins strongest pros, it’s best not to take it for granted.
Before you even start preparing to put your BTC to use, you should look into the cryptocurrency regulations of your country. At the same time, there are benefits for countries that allow the use of the currency, and many frowns on its use due to the competition it brings for fiat currency and fear of black market activity, among other things.
Doing some research on this beforehand can save you lots of time and effort in the future, and it can keep you from getting yourself into hot water with the law, which is certainly not something any of us want.
With that said, let’s get into what you came here for – “what can you buy with bitcoin.”
What Can You Buy With Bitcoin? An Overview
Many are surprised when they find out that the answer to the question “what you can buy with bitcoin?” is “more than you think”. From services to food and drink, here is a list of things you can purchase.
Food Items
Whenever people wonder, “what can you buy with bitcoin,” a common follow-up thought is, “I wonder if I can buy food with it?” Well, the answer to your question is yes, you most definitely can! While your options are much more limited than they would be with fiat currency, some are still available.
In California, there is a service called Pizzaforcoins. This service allows you to purchase pizza from various large pizza stores, like Pizza Hut or Papa John’s.
Using the service, you specify your location, and it will give you a guide to pizza outlets close to you. You then select a store and make your order, and the service sends your order to the pizza store. You can have it delivered or opt to collect it. Payments of up to 50 BTC are allowed.
You have options if you’re in other parts of the globe. In Germany, there is a similar service to Pizzaforcoins, called Lieferando.de; they have around 11 000 restaurants to choose from.
In London, Pembury Tavern and Burger Bear accept BTC, so does a pub in Sydney called Old Fitzroy and a diner in Tokyo called The Pink Cow.
In addition, the sandwich giant, Subway, has various stores worldwide accepting cryptocurrency. However, bear in mind that not every single one of them does.
Travelling
One may not expect the tourism and travel industry, which already thrives without BTC added to its earnings, to cater to cryptocurrency users. However, some companies do.
For example, through a company called Travala, you can book Expedia hotels using bitcoin. The site accepts payments of over 30 different cryptocurrencies, making it extremely accessible to travellers.
CheapAir, an online travel booking website, allows for BTC payments for various travel needs, such as flights, renting cars, railway travel tickets, etc.
Another company that offers a variety of travel options and services for BTC is Webjet; they offer flights, hotel rooms, car rentals, cruises, and even more. Further, AirBaltic is the first airline in the world to accept BTC for some flights, although not all.
Regarding “what can you buy with bitcoin,” travel and tourism are big.
Services
The internet is filled with services, from e-learning to news and blogging. For those not wanting to pay for these services using a (sometimes dangerous) method of filling in credit card details and personal information, there are some options for BTC users.
Here are some services you can spend your BTCs on.
- VPNs – both ExpressVPN and PureVPN accept payments with BTC. To secure your internet network and connection, ensure you spend your BTCs here.
- Blogging – the popular blogging site WordPress accepts payment in BTC. Additionally, while not exactly a blogging platform, Reddit offers users premium features for bitcoin.
- News – stay in touch with breaking news with Bloomberg or Chicago Sun-Times, who give you online newspapers for bitcoin.
- Online dating – For those looking for love, the popular online dating site OkCupid offers membership for bitcoin.
Online Stores
There are various online stores where you can use your BTC too. For example, the popular shopping site, Etsy, has about 100 vendors that accept payment in the form of BTC. There is also an extension that you can add to your browser, which allows you to shop on Amazon using BTC.
Entertainment
For bitcoin enthusiasts who happen to be avid gamers, too, there is some good news for you. A variety of platforms accept bitcoins in exchange for games. For example, both Xbox and the PlayStation Network accept bitcoins for games and add-ons or Xbox Live subscriptions or PS Network Subscriptions, respectively.
Other BTC platforms include Humble Bundle, an indie games website, Zynga, which specialises in mobile and online games, and Green Man Gaming, which offers games, game keys, and digital games.
If you are up for gambling, then BC.Game is your best bet!
Charity
By donating using bitcoin, you can ensure your donations are anonymous and avoid any fees that may come with it. Here are some options for those who are in the giving mood:
- Bitcoin For Charity List – This site is essentially a list that continues to grow of safe places to donate. It gives you everything you need to know about the specific organisation, including their wallet address.
- Wikileaks – For those interested in the publication of classified information, this non-profit organisation accepts tips.
- Wikimedia Foundation – This organisation aims to increase widespread access to educational content in various languages. It is also a non-profit organisation.
Miscellaneous
If you have something specific in mind that we have not yet mentioned, then perhaps it will show up in this last section of “what can you buy with bitcoin.” There are many miscellaneous items you can purchase using your prized bitcoins, including:
- Properties – using the Bitcoin Real Estate website.
- Taxi fares – in areas like Hungary and Argentina, you can find cabs that readily accept BTC as payments for taxi fares.
- Hemp oil soap – for those interested in the rise of hemp products, hemp oil soaps can be bought for BTC on The Original BitSoaps site.
- Lottery tickets – BTC users in Minnesota or New Hampshire can use the Jackpocket app to purchase lottery tickets on their phones.
- Adult entertainment – in the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas, the gentleman’s club called Legends Room accepts BTC for all that is on offer at the club, from drinks to dances and more.
Spending Your BTC
While crypto still has a long way to go in becoming a widely accepted currency that can be used wherever you go, we can see there has been much progress and acceptance already.
Despite regulations and mistrust, there are a wide variety of options for you to spend your BTC on. Just remember to keep regulations and the law in mind! Of course, most prefer to keep it as a long-term investment, but for those keen to get spending, you can now see there are many things you could purchase with it.
