Imagine a city where every business accepts Bitcoin. Walk down the street and buy a hot dog from a street vendor, enjoy a few beers at the pub next door, and take a cab home – all paid for with cryptocurrency. No more coins jangling around in your pocket, no more credit card or overdraft fees.
The Dutch city of Arnhem is close to making that happen – if only for a single day.
Three Bitcoin enthusiasts have organized a Bitcoincity Day on Wednesday, May 28th, convincing over a dozen local restaurants and bars to accept cryptocurrency for a day to promote Bitcoin awareness.
“Because of all the stories in the media about Bitcoin speculation one would almost forget that it is a fantastic way to pay!” the event website exclaims.
Bitcoin owners, users, fans and the Bitcoin-curious are invited to come to the city (located an hour by train from Amsterdam or 30 minutes from Utrecht) to spend their bitcoins at the 15-plus restaurants and cafes that have agreed to participate.
A couple of the restaurant owners have even announced special menu items in celebration, like Miner’s Menu and Bitcoin Bowl, according to cryptocurrency news site Bitcoin Owl.
The fun begins at 17:45, when event participants gather at the Café Brasserie Doduk for a short introduction on Bitcoin and the concept behind the Arnhem Bitcoincity. From there, there is no plan: “our aim is to venture into Arnhem’s city center…to visit the participating venues in no particular order, have some informal conversations on the way and have a good time,” the event site says.
The organizers are also putting on a contest for the night: the most active Bitcoiner (defined as the contestant who visits the most participating establishments and pays in bitcoins) wins some Bitcoin-themed swag and a €150 voucher for Dutch food-delivery website. Second- and third-place prizes will also be available for €75 and €25 each.
Don’t have any Bitcoins? Run out after binging too heavily on Bitcoin-financed burgers and beer? Luckily, there will be a Bitcoin ATM temporarily installed at the local Café de Koopman to accept euro banknotes.The Bitcoincity idea follows on the heels of a similar event (Bitcoin Boulevard) that took place in the Hague in March, which also saw cryptocurrency-bearing participants visiting area bars and restaurants accepting Bitcoin for the day.
If you’ve been craving a jaunt to the Netherlands, this could be a good reason to go. Event details can be found here.
