Mainstreaming is weird. After being blessed by regulators as valid and viable, getting a wink of acknowledgement from Starbucks, and making some highly conspicuous appearances in the world’s stock photo supply, cryptocurrency is now available in 1,200 convenience stores across the country-continent of Australia. Like buying lotto tickets or cigarettes, Australian would-be crypto-traders can now buy bitcoin and ether over the counter with nothing more than cash, a phone number, and an email address. The minimum purchase is A$50, and there’s a 5 percent fee. Though the system only went live last week, the infrastructure has been in place for a couple of years. That’s because cryptocurrency exchange Bitcoin.com.au partnered…
Australians can now buy bitcoin and ether at their local newsagents. What could possibly go wrong? (via Blueshift)