As most Bitcoin fans know, Roger Ver recently gave up his US Passport, so for the time being he is unable to set foot on US soil. His presence in the US, however, will not be stopped.
While enjoying the sun on a Caribbean Beach, Roger Ver simultaneously romped the streets of New York City, taking in the sights of the Financial District, trying to convince unsuspecting bystanders to except a few dollars in bitcoins.
.@CoinspaceIO let me tell people about Bitcoin in cold #NYC, from a warm beach, via their @doublerobotics robot. pic.twitter.com/oM2xiG9Qk9
— Roger Ver (@rogerkver) December 30, 2014The bitcoin giveaway was organized by Coinspace, which is an up-and-coming startup in Brooklyn, NY, looking to set up an incubator for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs.
Recently, they have been trying to get prominent Bitcoin personalities to log onto an eye-catching gadget called the Double. The Double is a user-operated telepresence robot that allows users to participate in activities from anywhere with an Internet connection. The self-balancing gadget was fully controlled by Roger Ver, and the looks of New Yorkers watching Ver while attempting to beat the light crossing the street was very memorable. Solomon Lederer, co-founder of Coinspace, at one point asked Ver:
“Hey Roger, you ever played Frogger back in the day?”
The Double basically creates an environment of being able to visit anywhere from the comfort of your own home. Just think of the application as being like attending classes from thousands of miles away, participating in seminars, roaming the streets of countries you are not able to visit (as the case with Roger Ver), and still being able to interact with people in your office while out on assignments.
The giveaway itself was pretty successful. Any time you can get even a dozen people to listen to a Bitcion elevator pitch, and then watching them either download a wallet right on their phone or except an email, it always puts a smile on your face. This particular giveaway took place near the World Trade Center Memorial with had very high tourist foot traffic. This was not a one-off event. Other locations where these promotions have already taken place, or will in the near future, are Washington Square Park, Union Square, High Line and many more.
Lederer explains the goals of Coinspace:
“Going out and introducing Bitcoin to the public is one of the initiatives we’ve started that embodies what Coinspace is trying to achieve, which is to educate and create a destination focused on Bitcoin development. We believe that with a dedicated collaborative workplace for Bitcoin we can accelerate the innovation in the Blockchain technology and services and bring them to mainstream sooner. Once we are fully operational and have permanent space leased out, we would like to set some areas aside for those that are coming through NYC and need to get some work done or have meetings while they are in town. Hopefully these seasoned veterans will help guide some of our startups along the way with their prior experience”
Here is the epic adventure that took place on a cold, rainy afternoon. Visit Coinspace’s YouTube page for additional bitcoin giveaway adventures.
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