Most of the times I introduce bitcoins to people who don’t know about it, they invariably reply: “Where could I use them?”
I would usually reply “at any merchant that accepts bitcoins.”
But now I’m able to reply “Anywhere”.
The next question most people ask is “But where do I get bitcoins in the first place?” I’d usually mention localbitcoins or Coinbase.
But now I’m able to tell them about Brawker.
Brawker is proxy buying service that allows you to both buy bitcoins and purchase anything on the internet using bitcoins with a guaranteed discount, just for using bitcoins.
Here’s how it works:
Buying Bitcoins using Brawker
On the Brawker website there’s a list of open orders posted by people willing to give you bitcoins for buying a specific requested good/service for them. After ordering it by using a credit card/PayPal and paying a premium of 8% to 20%, you receive your bitcoins. The exact premium percentage is selected by the party that posted the order.
How to buy anything on the internet with Bitcoins using Brawker
On the Website, create an order that will contain the link to the product you want, indicate a Discount (ranging between 8 and 20%). Your bitcoins are held in escrow. Then, wait for the notification that your order has been fulfilled. After receiving confirmation that the order has shipped, finalize the order. Your bitcoins will be sent to the buyer.
CEO of Brawker, Cyril Houri, treated me to a digital cup of coffee in order to illustrate the process.
I made a Brawker account which he funded with enough bitcoins for a Starbucks gift card. I provided the link to the online purchase screen for the gift card and indicated the price of the good ($20 in this case) in the order. Since I paid in bitcoins, I was entitled to a discount (I chose to pay about 20% less than the full price) that in turn becomes the credit card/PayPal user’s required premium. I included my email address in the order and within a matter of minutes I received an email containing a Starbucks card. I finalized the order, and the fiat spender received his or her bitcoins.
To summarize, my first bitcoin transaction using Brawker was a win-win deal for everyone involved.
I got to spend my bitcoins and got 20% more buying power for simply spending them.
The person who “bought” my bitcoins was able to do so very easily. They just bought a Starbucks gift card using a credit card.
Lastly, that same day I enjoyed a hot cup of coffee knowing that bitcoins had purchased it. And it felt very good.
One of the most convenient ways of using bitcoins with Brawker is through an Amazon Wishlist, in which you can input your mailing address on the web page belonging to the item you want to buy. Your mailing address is kept private until someone is fulfilling your order with their fiat money. Your purchase will instantly be sent to your home.
Before founding Brawker, Cyril Houri created three different companies offering location technology products. He received a patent for IP address geolocation in 1999 for his first company, then transferred the service to mobile devices two years before Google did it. He finally brought the idea to indoor buildings with his company Navizon. Some time afterwards he fell in love with Bitcoin.
“After witnessing the Mt. Gox fiasco,” Cyril Houri concludes, “I realized that we needed a truly decentralized peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange. I got the idea to create a distinct kind of exchange involving the purchase of goods and services through online merchants such as Amazon.”
Brawker has the power to effectively clear the barrier of entry and use for bitcoins, giving more people access to this new global economy than ever before.
