For some time now I have been considering how to encourage the use of Steem as a form of payment not only with companies already accepting Bitcoin, but with all the others too.
This is no small task, given the average persons understanding of crytocurrency and its benefits.
The Solution
It seems to me that we need a website dedicated to buying and selling everything you can imagine… with Steem as its method of payment.
Knowing very little about how one goes about designing such a thing, I am clearly not in a position to make this happen.
I am however in a position to start a steemit account with the same functionality.
Steem Shop
The account is called @steemshop
Its primary function will be to enable Steemit users to buy & sell goods of all kinds, using the Steem in their wallets without having to leave Steemit.
I understand Peerhub have done a great job at creating something along these lines already, but unlike them, I am looking to promote Steemit by keeping the marketplace on the platform and use only Steem or Steem Dollars as payment options. None of that pesky Bitcoin allowed here :)
The Process
Users create a post describing their item for sale including the following essential elements:
- clear photographs from multiple angles
- description of item
- age & condition (if second hand)
- asking price in Steem with an indication if you are willing to negotiate
- location of item (in order that delivery costs can be calculated)
- use #steemshop as your first tag
I will then resteem your item for sale on the official @steemshop account where people can check availability and contact you directly if they want to purchase your item.
Should there be any breach of agreement between two parties, a collective of dolphins & whales will flag the guilty party off the platform. The blockchain has no secrets. Deliveries should be recorded and receipts should be kept to avoid any problems if the recipient claims their item didn't arrive.
It will take some time to fill up the @steemshop marketplace with a diverse range of goods so I will need your help to kick start what could potentially be a huge shift towards seeing Steem as a currency of exchange.
What are the key advantages of Steem as a payment method?
- Payments are instant
- There are no fees
- The wallet you need is connected to your shopping site, so no need to involve secondary sites or methods of exchange.
- Every exchange you make is adding to the viability of this new system of shopping, building bridges into the future of Steem dominance.
What can you do now to help get this started?
- You can make a list of all those items you fancy turning into steem
- You can start taking photos of your items and turning them into steemit posts, making sure to list the above required information.
- You can post your article using the #steemshop tag (which I will check on a daily basis to re-post in the @steemshop account)
- You can resteem this post to build awareness
In Conclusion
It is my belief that having a Steem powered shop will act as a further incentive to join the platform and start spending your earned Steem without having to exchange it first to Bitcoin. Which many newbies will naturally still be confused about.
And there is an added advantage to moving the Steem around in this manner. By hoarding it in our wallets, we are not assisting the growth of this platform as much as we might think.
I am particularly excited about this project now that the value of steem is on the rise again, further demonstrating its staying power as a leading cryptocurrency of the future.
I am open to all suggestions as to how we might be able to improve the system I have outlined above.
