Northern Ireland is an interesting region to keep an eye on in terms of Bitcoin and digital currency adoption. Not only does Northern Ireland have its very own Bitcoin Foundation chapter – a non-profit called Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland – but, they are also planning to host their very first event in the near future.
Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland
Spreading the word on Bitcoin and blockchain technology in a country such as Northern Ireland has been in the making for quite some time. One could even go as far as saying that Northern Ireland is the “odd one out” as far as the United Kingdom is concerned. But, that doesn’t make its inhabitants less proud of what they do and how they may appear to be different from the rest of the UK.
And with that way of life comes the adoption of innovative technologies into your everyday routine. Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland want to bring Bitcoin and digital currency to the masses and aim to organize monthly meetups, in order to do so. Speaking of which, their first monthly meetup will be on May 28th at Boden Park Coffee Company Ltd. in Belfast. The meetup takes place between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM local time.
As you would come to expect from a rather new Bitcoin group in any part of the world, the current list of members is relatively short. But, one of the more interesting members of the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland is Alan Donohoe. Some of our readers may recall that name, as Alan is the Director & Founder of Bitcoin Foundation Ireland.
Once these monthly Bitcoin meetups gain more and more attention in Belfast and surrounding areas, the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland hopes to swell the ranks a bit. You do not need a lot of people to bring major changes to everyday life, however, it wouldn’t hurt to get at least a dozen active members spreading the word of Bitcoin.
If you are interested in getting involved with the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland, there are several ways to do so. The most obvious way is to become a member of the association, which will grant you voting rights and access to the members forum. Other membership privileges have been planned for the future, once the word gets out a bit more.
Business and corporate members are also more than welcome to join the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland. The more members in this category, the easier it should become to bring Bitcoin to Northern Ireland. The first [and only] business member so far is Boden Park Coffee Company Ltd., the venue for the first monthly meetup.
Last but not least, students and individuals can also contribute to making Bitcoin a mainstream currency and technology in Northern Ireland. Younger generations are the future for all countries around the world and it is important that we educate them on Bitcoin and blockchain technology as soon as possible. They can then put this knowledge to good use, which will benefit Bitcoin adoption and awareness in Northern Ireland.
Local Bitcoin Sponsors
The idea of creating monthly meetups in Northern Ireland materialized after many months of planning, securing sponsorship deals and sheer determination. And, it has to be said, the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland did manage to secure a lot of “sponsors” in their country which may come as a surprise to some of our readers.
Boden Park Coffee Company Ltd. is the very first coffee shop in Northern Ireland to accept Bitcoin payments for all of their goods and services. But, that is not all, as this company also procured the first exchange terminal in the country – courtesy of Coinkite. This allows for the purchase of Bitcoin at the meetup location.
Other sponsors include The Coin Cave, an Irish exchange for multiple currencies, Bittylicious, one of the UK’s leading Bitcoin exchange platforms, who were more than willing to sponsor Bitcoin efforts in Northern Ireland as well. And, let’s not forget BitcoinMarketingTeam, an Ireland-based company specializing in Bitcoin marketing.
There is also Osk&r Juliet, a Northern Ireland design studio, who are also sponsoring the Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland. And, the latest two sponsors should not be overlooked by any means, as both BitPay and Netki bring Bitcoin to everyone in the world in their own ways. It is great to see so much interest from Bitcoin-related companies to increase local digital currency awareness.
Source: BANI (Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland)
Images courtesy of BANI and Boden Park Coffee Company Ltd.
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