Rich in bitcoins and need a haircut? Head to Zagreb.
Bitcoin is currently one of the most interesting currencies in the world. But, it is not the kind of money which you can feel in your hands, since there are no bills or coins. Bitcoin is a virtual currency which is used within a decentralized and anonymous network. It is something completely different from the regular payment system and the banks. It is being created and preserved electronically, without any central control. All this was enough for as many as two million accounts to be opened in Bitcoin network. There are more and more online stores where you can use this innovative currency. And now, payment in Bitcoins is becoming available at more and more locations in Croatia, reports Vecernji List on January 11, 2016.
In Zagreb, several years ago Ivan Šimurina and Vedran Kljajić, Croatian Bitcoin pioneers, have installed the first Bitcoin ATM. Very soon, you will also be able to use Bitcoins to pay for a haircut. “Ivan is to blame for this idea! He wanted to pay his haircut with Bitcoins and asked me why I did not accept them”, says Ana-Marija Novaković, owner of the Studio 54 hair salon in Savica neighbourhood in Zagreb. “It is something completely new and represents the future. I like the whole concept, I think it is great and could bring in many young people”, says Ana-Marija, who herself now owns some Bitcoins and watches the daily changes in its value with great interest. Current exchange rate is about 400 dollars for a single Bitcoin.
“I do not actually see some significant differences in comparison with credit cards. I have no fear of fraud, the system looks very safe”, says the owner of the salon, adding that she was already told by five customers that, due to the introduction of Bitcoins as payment option, they will themselves open a Bitcoin account. “It will be much more interesting to use an alternative currency. I have read that in Zagreb there is a gentleman who wants to pay everything with Bitcoins. Perhaps, he will come for a haircut here!”
“I would use Bitcoins myself; it should be open to all. More payment options mean more diverse and numerous clients. So far, we have not received any requests for payment with alternative currencies, so I believe that in the beginning it might go a little slower, but over time the number of such payments will certainly increase”, says Ana-Marija. She knows that in Split there is a hair salon which has been accepting Bitcoins for some time. “We will start as soon as we check that everything is all right in a legal sense, which should be in a few days”, says the owner of the first hair salon in Zagreb that will accept Bitcoins as an alternative currency.
