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No single person, company or government controls it. Bitcoin is stored in a Bitcoin wallet and can be sent between different wallets, anywhere in the world, in a matter of seconds not days and for a few cents not hundreds of rand.
In some ways, Bitcoin is just another currency: Bitcoin can easily be sent to a wallet across the room or across the world. Since it is sent peer-to-peer, there are no third parties or borders to restrict the transaction. Bitcoin can be bought and sold for local currencies also known as fiat currency in almost every country in the world. The transaction fees levied by card processors for transactions and the settlement fees charged by banks for international transfers are significantly higher than fees for sending bitcoin.
These costs are passed down to the consumer. It takes one to two days to receive a bank payment from a different bank, two to five days for a merchant to receive funds from a credit card transaction and up to a week or more for international bank transfers. Bitcoin transactions are instantly sent and usually confirmed in under 30 minutes, from and to anywhere in the world. When you want to receive a payment, you simply provide the sender with your Bitcoin wallet address.
This address is a receive-only address: All Bitcoin transactions that have ever happened are recorded in a ledger known as the Blockchain. If someone uses a stolen credit card at your store, the owner of the stolen card can simply reverse the charges with their bank a process known as a chargeback.
There are many people who believe the price will go up ten, hundred or thousandfold in the next few years. Only time will tell, but the momentum, increased transaction rate of people using it, banks and companies investing in Bitcoin and Blockchain are all very good indicators.
This is the number one use for Bitcoin at the moment. Bitcoin attracts a lot of trading activity when there is increased volatility. You might choose to pay with Bitcoin since it is usually faster and more convenient than credit cards. There are thousands of merchants in South Africa and across the world that accept Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a great way to discreetly pay for legal but sensitive things.
Due to the fixed costs involved with credit cards and most types of banking, it has thus far been nearly impossible to pay small amounts of money for things like digital content.
With Bitcoin you can send fractions cents, unlocking many new use cases. Only for advanced users. They can be compared to something like Gmail: This is for advanced users only, but a Bitcoin wallet simply consists of a Bitcoin address and a private key.
Hardware wallets are dedicated devices to store your Bitcoin addresses and private keys. Many people use LocalBitcoins , a site that connects local buyers and sellers, where you pay via bank transfer or meet up in person and trade in cash. There are two Bitcoin exchanges in South Africa: Luno is a really impressive Bitcoin company, and not just by local standards.
You can buy Bitcoin from Luno via their website or their smartphone app. We highly recommend using them if you want to get set up with Bitcoin in a fast and easy-to-understand manner.
Never put all your eggs in once basket. Many people are overwhelmed by the high price of Bitcoin. I recommend starting with a few hundred or thousand rand, just to get the hang of it. Bitcoin is really volatile high up-and-down swings in the exchange rate. There are however unique characteristics to Bitcoin that you should know: Bitcoin is Global Bitcoin can easily be sent to a wallet across the room or across the world.
Bitcoin is Cheap The transaction fees levied by card processors for transactions and the settlement fees charged by banks for international transfers are significantly higher than fees for sending bitcoin. Bitcoin is Fast It takes one to two days to receive a bank payment from a different bank, two to five days for a merchant to receive funds from a credit card transaction and up to a week or more for international bank transfers.
Bitcoin is Transparent All Bitcoin transactions that have ever happened are recorded in a ledger known as the Blockchain. Bitcoin is Irreversible If someone uses a stolen credit card at your store, the owner of the stolen card can simply reverse the charges with their bank a process known as a chargeback. What is Bitcoin used for? Speculation This is the number one use for Bitcoin at the moment. Trading Bitcoin attracts a lot of trading activity when there is increased volatility.
E-commerce transactions You might choose to pay with Bitcoin since it is usually faster and more convenient than credit cards. Low-value payments Due to the fixed costs involved with credit cards and most types of banking, it has thus far been nearly impossible to pay small amounts of money for things like digital content.
There are different types of Bitcoin wallets. Suggested wallets Luno hybrid: Luno Luno is a really impressive Bitcoin company, and not just by local standards.
They also have a very impressive exchange for more advanced traders. Start small Many people are overwhelmed by the high price of Bitcoin.