Two South Korean firms, Bithumb and Pay’s have announced a partnership that will enable 6,000 stores throughout the country to open up goods purchases with cryptocurrency.
Customers who hold their digital currencies on the Bithumb exchange will be able to quickly and easily pay for a coffee in stores such as Starbucks, Outback etc.
Bithumb will integrate with Pay’s already established payment terminals which process payments for gift certificates in 6,000 stores, these include 400 domestic and 200 franchise partners among others.
Customers will use barcodes generated within their mobile app to make payments at their desired shop, adoption will increase to 8,000 by the end of 2018.
Bithumb, often unknown to cryptoethusiasts in the west is one of South Korea’s largest exchanges, in-fact it ranks second for trading volume amassing nearly half a billion dollars each day.
The news follows Bithumb’s recent collaboration with Innovation Corp which seen 50,000 accommodation options allowing customers to rent with cryptocurrencies.
Many companies are integrating with cryptocurrencies to bridge the gap between traditional payments thus opening the space up for more user friendly and transparent alternatives that no longer rely on slow and cumbersome fiat methods.