Coinbase and Shift introduce first Visa Bitcoin debit card in US
US-based Bitcoin wallet and merchant services provider, Coinbase, is launching the first debit card for Bitcoin in the US, allowing users to spend Bitcoin anywhere that Visa is accepted. The move is being labelled as a major step towards Bitcoin becoming more accessible to the average consumer, and may represent a significant step towards Bitcoin becoming more widely adopted. Coinbase has partnered with start-up company Shift Payments to produce what will be called the "Shift Card". The card can be used in the 24 US states where Coinbase services are currently offered and according to the company, users can spend Bitcoin online and offline at over 38 million merchants worldwide. There is a one-time fee of $10 and currently no annual, transaction or other associated fees, although Coinbase says this may change if it charges Shift a fee for Bitcoin conversion, as Shift may pass this on to users.

Bitcoin Bitcoin While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that Read this Term wallet and merchant services provider Coinbase has introduced a debit card allowing users to spend bitcoin anywhere that Visa is accepted.

The concept of bitcoin debit cards is not new; they have been periodically launched by a number of crypto companies during the past couple of years. However, according to Coinbase, its card is the first to be issued in the US. It will be available for users located in states where Coinbase services are offered, which currently number 24.

Coinbase touts the card for making it possible to spend bitcoin at over 38 million merchants worldwide- something that “has not been possible in most cities in the US.”

The card, called “Shift Card”, was launched in conjunction with a company called Shift Payments Payments One of the bases of mediums of exchange in the modern world, a payment constitutes the transfer of a legal currency or equivalent from one party in exchange for goods or services to another entity. The payments industry has become a fixture of modern commerce, though the players involved and means of exchange have dramatically shifted over time.In particular, a party making a payment is referred to as a payer, with the payee reflecting the individual or entity receiving the payment. Most commonl One of the bases of mediums of exchange in the modern world, a payment constitutes the transfer of a legal currency or equivalent from one party in exchange for goods or services to another entity. The payments industry has become a fixture of modern commerce, though the players involved and means of exchange have dramatically shifted over time.In particular, a party making a payment is referred to as a payer, with the payee reflecting the individual or entity receiving the payment. Most commonl Read this Term. The company’s sole message on its home page is its Bitcoin Debit Card for Coinbase. It also states payment card support for Dwolla, a low-fee payment processor offering real-time transfers. Dwolla recently partnered with CME to streamline payment operations.

There is a one-time $10 fee (paid in BTC) for the Coinbase debit card, and currently no annual or transaction fees. Coinbase says that in the future, it may charge fees to Shift for the conversion of bitcoin to fiat, which will in turn be passed on to the consumer.