This talk shares the key lessons I’ve learned from actively spending Bitcoin across South Africa after launching BitcoinFriendlySA, a platform that helps people spend and accept Bitcoin with confidence. By documenting merchants, writing Bitcoin spending guides, meeting industry players like MoneyBadger, and using Bitcoin myself, I shifted from seeing it mainly as digital gold to understanding it also as real money for everyday spending and saving.
After briefly covering how Bitcoin payments work in South Africa, the talk explores what actually happens at the till: why Bitcoin spending is still early, how invisible QR-code payments slow adoption, and why many Bitcoiners hesitate to spend due to volatility concerns, HODL culture, and tax friction. The talk concludes with practical ideas for advancing adoption.
