ShakePay has removed non-EU countries from its list of supported counties, complicating Dash debit card prospects for users outside of Europe.
On Monday, ShakePay, a prepaid debit card provider which allows customers to load their cards directly with Dash, announced it had updated the list of countries supported:
https://twitter.com/shakepay/status/902186218213056513
- shakepay
Missing from the list were countries from parts of the world such as Canada and Mexico. Additionally, ShakePay announced that in mid-October, all cards from non-supported regions that were already issued will be deactivated. This could limit the options for Dash users in many parts of the world to spend their digital cash.
Several Dash debit card options remain, but with limitations
While the net limitations imposed on ShakePay do cause headaches for some customers around the world, other card options still remain. Both Uquid and SpectroCoin offer direct Dash debit cards, which can be loaded with Dash without first going through Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. BitWala and Wirex offer cards that can be loaded with Dash, however these are done through ShapeShift integrations and are therefore reliant on first converting to Bitcoin, with all the associated network and exchange fees and delays.
At present, no Dash debit card solution is reliably available to US residents. TenX offers limited integration for Dash, but is not yet available to US customers. Charlie Shrem has been working on a Dash debit card for US residents by leveraging a partnership with Payza, which is not yet released but reportedly moving along according to schedule.
Processor challenges underscore the need for true direct adoption
Issues arising with card processors emphasize the importance of building a true Dash economy. Card providers like ShakePay and TenX allow Dash users to effectively spend their holdings anywhere, and gift card providers like BitCart open up significant discounts on large inventories, however all these are temporary stepping stones to the greater goal of true wide adoption. If any or all of these services were to be limited or shut down, usability would suffer.
Fortunately, direct adoption for Dash is on the rise around the world. Even in the absence of a reliable point-of-sale system with fiat conversion, 306 businesses and growing are listed as accepting Dash on DiscoverDash.com. When reliable point-of-sale options are released, this number will likely increase exponentially.