They say money can’t buy happiness, but we can’t deny its importance in our daily lives. And, as George mentions in this episode of TWT, as the world changes we can expect our money to change too. In this episode, George and Tamara explore the ways in which technology is already starting to change the way we use money: cryptocurrencies, AI cybersecurity, financial advisor portals, and more. Although we learn a lot about the ever-changing financial world in this episode, there are still some facts about cryptocurrency that you may be surprised to learn.

Method of Payment

Did you know that a lot of major companies now accept cryptocurrency payments in place of cash or credit? One of the big ones is a company we all likely use for online payments- Paypal. They were among the first to start accepting cryptocurrencies and they currently accept payments through GoCoin, Coinbase, and BitPay. Another company that accepts cryptocurrency is synonymous with the phrase Five Dollar Footlong. That’s right, you can now eat fresh with your bitcoins because Subway accepts them in exchange for food items. You can also use your bitcoins for anything from buying a new computer to a new TV service since both Microsoft and Dish also accept bitcoin payments in exchange for their services. You can even purchase games, movies, and apps in Microsoft’s online store. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was originally skeptical of the technology, but in December 2018 he said it could help to solve world poverty.  In addition, it’s also a form of currency on Etsy, Victoria’s Secret, WordPress, Shopify, and many more.

It’s All In A Name

Another thing you may be surprised to learn about cryptocurrency is that a lot of companies have taken off for no reason other than their names. That’s right, as cryptocurrency has begun to grow in popularity, several crypto-companies have gained a fair amount of success simply for a creative or funny company name. One of the most famous (or perhaps infamous) iterations of this is a company called Dogecoin. Doge is the extremely popular internet meme featuring a Shiba-Inu that went viral in 2013. Essentially, a crypto-company was created based off of this hilarious meme. As you can imagine, this was originally meant as a joke, but it has managed to morph into one of the largest coins on the market with a market cap of $130 million. Other crypto-company names of note include WhopperCoin (created by Burger King), Unobtanium (a fictitious precious metal), and Cat Coins (one of many cat-themed cryptocurrencies).

Ultimately, given the ever-changing needs of financial technology and security, it makes cents that the Park of the Future will be built to adapt as we see the world change.