It wasn’t too long ago that popular messaging platform WhatsApp got its own cryptocurrency wallet. That add-on, the Wuabit wallet, was made available by a group of developers out of Austria and allowed WhatsApp users to send and receive digital currencies from within the app. Now, another option is ready that is reportedly simplified and, if it survives the scrutiny of fans, could revolutionize crypto transactions.
Zulu Republic has a new bot for WhatsApp that allows users to send and receive Bitcoin Core (BTC), Litecoin (LTC) and others. It requires the installation of the company’s Lite.Im bot to work and is already finding a positive response in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
WhatsApp reportedly has more than a billion users worldwide, so this has the potential to expand crypto awareness quickly across the globe. Zulu is also helping entice users to spread the word, paying them for referrals.
How the functionality is going to be impacted when Facebook launches its crypto solution cannot yet be determined. It’s logical that the social media giant, which owns WhatsApp, would prefer to not have any competition if it wants to offer its Facebook Coin on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Instagram, but it also needs to stay on the good side of regulators and can’t afford to do anything that would result in an anti-trust lawsuit.
Zulu already has its platform available for other messaging solutions. It launched the Lite.Im bot earlier this year, bringing the capability to Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and standard text messaging. The company said in a Medium post at the time, “Thanks to our new integration with fiat payments processing partner Simplex, Lite.IM is now more useful and convenient than ever, removing an important barrier to adoption by those mainstream users who may have been intimidated by the complexity of navigating other cryptocurrency purchasing, wallet, and exchange platforms.”
Global awareness and adoption of digital currencies continue and at faster paces than ever. It took email almost 20 years to be accepted, but crypto has been able to advance exponentially in just a few short years. As the technology matures and becomes better understood, it will continue to be embraced by an increasing number of merchants. Programs such as Flexa’s Spedn, which is being tested at Whole Foods locations and others, are making it extremely easy for merchants to adopt the option and crypto could be seen in virtually all retail establishments within the next four years.
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