There’s an interesting initiative going on right now in the bitcoin industry. Companies working in the sector are doing their best to get bitcoin in the hands of as many people as possible.
San Francisco-based Coinbase is prepared for another round.
The company announced it is partnering with AnyPerk.com to offer existing AnyPerk users free access to $10 worth of bitcoin when they sign up with Coinbase.
AnyPerk is a company that works to provide employee perks to over 2,500 companies that include Salesforce.com, Groupon, and Etsy.
These users will be able to spend their bitcoin however they choose, either by converting it to fiat, or supporting the small bitcoin economy by, say, shopping at Overstock.com.
It’s a bold move, and one that will cost Coinbase quite a financially, but it’s also considered to be an investment. Coinbase, who is no stranger to giving out free money, is obviously aiming to bring aboard tons of new users. And a promotion like this just might do that.
It’s really interesting to see how companies have developed their own way to bring people into the bitcoin community.
Coinbase’s major competitor in the United States, BitPay, is also doing their best to bring aboard new users — not just to their service but bitcoin as a whole.
With strategic sports sponsorships arranged in the Southeast of the United States, they’re hoping to get people interested not by offering free money, but by exposing them to bitcoin-accepting merchants, logos, and the like.
And each tactic seems to be working well.
Coinbase has some major competition coming up, however. Circle Internet Financial of Boston is starting up their own wallet service, and they’re giving newcomers $10 worth of free bitcoin too.
Let’s see where we go from here.
