Response to questions of Martin Rojko from CoinTelegraph

Are you satisfied with profitability of bitcoin ATM operation in BA, KE?
Well, these are two different stories. Profitability of the ATM in Bratislava is good thanks to low fixed costs and increasing demand. However, in Kosice, fixed costs were very high and demand very low, and that's despite some marketing activities in business community and the fact that the ATM in Kosice offered both purchase and sale of bitcoins. It seems businesses and individuals in Bratislava are getting used to bitcoin and starting to use it more frequently and all this despite almost non-existent PR & marketing activities supporting bitcoin by 0011 s.r.o..

Do you know how many people have bought bitcoins / how much btc have been sold up to today?
We are not tracking people. We can only estimate from the number of different wallets used to purchase bitcoins. Long-term average is above 2 bitcoins sold per day in about 2 transactions, so the average single purchase is something above 1 bitcoin. Two out of three transactions are sent to the same wallet.This is mainly due to the fact that people prefer to purchase bitcoins in multiple smaller transactions e.g. to decrease risk of unfinished transaction due to machine freeze, lost connection, unresponsive server etc. MojBitcoin ATM is in operation since 21. November 2013 which is almost 750 days, so it’s over 1500 bitcoins sold in cca 1500 transactions to cca 1000 bitcoin wallets...

How was the demand during its 2 years of operation, were there any remarkable changes?
I have noticed some correlations to bitcoin price. Usually, demand decreases after steep rise in bitcoin price when people expect return to stable price or a correction. In other cases, rise in price can spark panic buying as noticed at the end of 2013. On the other hand, people don’t seem to take advantage of falling prices when demand is low. I must also note that there are customers who buy bitcoins regardless of the price. These customers most likely use bitcoins as a means to doing business, not as a store of value.

How do you see those 2 atm as regards reliability, technical problems...
Lamassu machine had some issues during the first year of its operation, but Lamassu team was not only responsive in resolving these issues, but was also able to deliver software upgrades which made the operation much more stable and reliable. I highly appreciate the full control operator of Lamassu machine has including a possibility to run own server and integrate with machine software.
BitXatm’s Sumo Pro may be more suitable for operator who prefers not to deal with technical part of the operation as this is covered solely by BitXatm team. Software is not open-source which can make its development costly and lengthy. The BitXatm team is responsive to issues, however the machine’s reliability level seems to be a bit below one offered by Lamassu.

Do bitcoin ATMs have a bright future? Is it a good business venture or is it now enough for you to maintain more machines at some other places?
Bitcoin ATMs have as bright future as bitcoin itself. If you’re considering operating a bitcoin ATM, you need to assess potential demand in your area. If you want to help start a bitcoin economy, you should make sure you can operate the ATM without profit for extended period of time, i.e. minimize your fixed costs.
As of now, I don’t have any plans to expand to other cities in Slovakia, but will gladly support any initiative like that.

Any new bitcoin projects in the plan?
A few ideas, but also many other activities and priorities. I definitely don’t want Bitcoin ATM to be my only contribution to our bright future…  :-)

How do you perceive btc atmosphere in Slovakia over these two years? Is there any stable progress or otherwise? Do still people who have heard of btc perceive it as some ponzi scheme or get rich scheme?
People who know Bitcoin only from the mainstream media can only repeat what these media say. And although the topics are slowly shifting from ‘ponzi-scheme’ to ‘blockchain innovation’, MSM never miss a chance for a sensational e.g. ‘terrorist funding’ headline. Fortunately, there are people who are curious and brave enough to take the first step and try this still very new thing for themselves, learn, explore... Not many, but numbers are growing.
I think people in Slovakia are quite conservative and careful when it comes to their money. However they rarely understand the big picture, long-term risks and consequences of their investment decisions or central bank policies. One way to open people to Bitcoin is an education towards financial literacy. However, this is not the path masses will take. Bitcoin industry needs to come up with solutions which are easy to grasp and provide immediate tangible benefits in comparison to non-blockchain alternatives. There are also many opportunities in private as well as public sector companies and organizations, but similarly as with people, it takes a bit of courage, commitment and a will to take your fate into your own hands...


Parts of this response were published by CoinTelegraph in articles Welcome the first ever Worldcoin ATM and BTM Operator: Bitcoin Is Used in Business, not Just Store of Value.

2.narodeniny Bitcoin ATM

Dnes su to 2 roky, co sme predstavili prvy bitcoinovy automat na Slovensku. V tom case to bol aj prvy bitcoinovy automat v Europe a jeden z prvych vo svete. 21. novembra 2013 o 19:30 bol tento automat predstaveny v Progressbare za pritomnosti prvych slovenskych bitcoinovych nadsencov ale aj par zvedavych zastupcov medii. Neskor bol umiestneny v restauracii Subway, az napokon 8. decembra bol namontovany do pasaze medzi ulicami Gorkeho a Laurinska, kde je dodnes.
A prave toto obdobie (21.11. - 8.12.) venujeme vsetkym bitcoinovym priaznivcom maly darcek, a to znizenim poplatku za nakup bitcoinov v tomto automate z 3% na 1%.
A tak, ked budete najblizsie na bratislavskych vianocnych trhoch, nezabudnite, ze len par krokov vas deli od vyhodneho nakupu najlepsej meny 21.storocia :-)
Pre zacinajucich sme pripravili sprievodcu zakladmi Bitcoinov.

Reakcia na otazky Petra Brejcaka z Trendu

Aká je podla vás budúcnost bitcoinov? Uchytí sa ako mena používaná v bežnom platobnom styku? Podla niektorých odhadov, ktoré som cítal, sa pocet bitcoinových transakcii na celom svete za den pohybuje na úrovni pod 55-tisíc, co velkému rozšíreniu nenasvedcuje.

Buducnost bitcoinov zalezi v prvom rade od ich uzitku v porovnani s uzitkom existujucich alternativ. Uzitok bitcoinov mozme vnimat vo viacerych rovinach, no vypichol by som najma schopnost uchovania hodnoty a schopnost prenosu hodnoty. V prostredi, kde sa centralne banky predbiehaju v znehodnocovani svojich mien, bude stupat hodnota likvidnych aktiv, ktore nemozno neobmedzene produkovat. Medzi take patri aj bitcoin. A bitcoin je tiez prvotriednym aktivom, ked ide o prenos hodnoty. Ci ide o tzv. mikro-transakcie (t.j. centy alebo ich zlomky) alebo milionove transakcie, bitcoin je jednym z mala prostriedkov, ktore umoznuju taketo prevody takmer zadarmo a takmer okamzite, a to po celom svete. Zaroven ide o unikatny slobodny, otvoreny a vysoko efektivny transakcny system, ktory prinasa sluzby nielen financneho sektora aj viac nez miliarde ludi, ktori bankovy ucet nikdy nemali.

Fakt, ze bitcoinom nebudeme v najblizsich rokoch bezne platit svoje ucty alebo nakupovat v obchodoch neznamena, ze nenabera na svojej kredibilite, a ze nerastie jeho uzitok. Jeho vyuzitie bude pravdepodobne rast najma v oblastiach, ktore v sucasnosti nie su uspokojivo alebo dostatocne efektivne pokryte beznymi prostriedkami, a z nich sa postupne rozsiria do dalsich oblasti. V sucasnosti je Bitcoin technologickou novinkou, ktorej vyuzitie je tazke predvidat tak isto, ako bolo tazke si predstavit, ako dokazeme vyuzit internet, ked sa na verejnosti objavil zaciatkom devatdesiatych rokov.


Je bitcoin bezpecná mena? Od krachu burzy Mt Gox dolárová hodnota jedného bitcoinu spadla o 70 percent, takže sa nezdá, že by jej ludia/investori verili.

Otazkou teda skor je bezpecnost investicie do bitcoinov. Tu je z kratko-dobeho hladiska odpovedou jasne nie. Napriek tomu, ze ma Bitcoin za sebou uz 6 rokov zrenia a cennych skusenosti, ku stabilnemu aktivu ma este daleko. Nie je to typ investicie pre ulozenie svojich celozivotnych uspor, no vysoka volatilita moze pritiahnut skusenych obchodnikov, ktori sa financnym trhom venuju profesionalne. Neistota bitcoinoveho trhu plynie najma z jeho malej velkosti, citlivosti na vonkajsie vplyvy vratane legislativnych zmien, a pod. Na druhej strane, ak verite v postupny rast uzitku bitcoinov, moze stat bitcoin za zvazenie ako dlhodoba investicia. V kazdom pripade vsak treba mysliet na bezpecnost ich ulozenia. Doterajsia historia ukazala, ze doverovat tretim stranam najma pri vacsich objemoch sa nevyplaca, a preto je casto rozumnejsie zoznamit sa s moznostami uchovavania bitcoinov a zvolit pre seba ten spravny model.
 

A do tretice by som bol rád, ak by ste mohli poskytnút nejaké štatistiky využívania bitcoinomatov na Slovensku (v BA aj v KE) - pocet transakcii, zákazníkov... Naplnili tieto bankomaty vaše ocakávania?

Treba povedat, ze oba automaty predstavuju nove technologie vo vyvoji, preto ich prevadzka byva obmedzena vypadkami a vyzaduje si nemalu pozornost prevadzkovatela. S automatmi som spokojny a verim, ze v dohladnej dobe sa bude darit ich vyuzitie postupne rozsirovat aj o dalsie sluzby. V sucasnosti sa na Slovensku preda prostrednictvom automatov priblizne 1-2 bitcoiny za den, pricom vacsina z toho je prave v Bratislave. Tieto automaty nezbieraju informacie o svojich zakaznikoch, no da sa hovorit o desiatkach zakaznikov roznych vekovych kategorii, vzdelania, ci profesionalneho zamerania. Bitcoin nie je masovou zalezitostou, a v sucasnosti ani nie je nasim cielom ho nou spravit. Zato sa snazime o popularizaciu Bitcoinu najma tam, kde jeho moznosti otvaraju nove horizonty a inspiruju k napadom...

Clanok bol uverejneny na etrend.sk.

Reakcia na otazky Michala Mellena pre ucely pripravy diplomovej prace

- Kedy ste začali prijímať platby v BTC ?

Spolocnost 0011 s.r.o. je platbam v bitcoinoch otvorena uz dlhsi cas, no prva bitcoinova uhrada vystavenej faktury prisla az v januari tohto roka.

- Koľko ľudí u vás už platilo formou virtuálnej meny ?

Aktualne ide o jedneho obchodneho partnera, s ktorym mame zmluvne dohodnutu zlavu z ceny poskytovanych sluzieb pri platbach v bitcoinoch.

- Akú peňaženku využívate a prečo práve tú ?

Vyuzivame viacero roznych penazeniek, kazdu pre iny ucel, a to od full-node bitcoind, cez penazenky na burzach, Armory na desktope, Mycelium na mobile, Blockchain.info online az po papierove penazenky a Trezor pre offline ulozenie bitcoinov. Kazda penazenka ma svoje pre a proti, a tomu treba prisposobit sposob a ucel jej vyuzitia. Zaroven je dolezite sledovat vyvoj v tejto oblasti a adekvatne reagovat na nove bezpecnostne hrozby.

- Čo Vás motivovalo k prijímaniu platieb v BTC ?

Bitcoin je mena mnohych kvalit. Pre mna to nie je len o efektivnosti ci rychlosti prevodov. Som zastancom myslienok a filozofie, na ktorej je bitcoin postaveny, a to najma co sa tyka volneho trhu, volneho nakladania s vlastnym majetkom. Podporou bitcoinu sa teda snazim podporovat uplatnovanie tychto slobod.

- Aký máte názor na BTC ako podnikateľ - v čom vidíte hlavné klady a v čom hlavné zápory v porovnaní s aktuálnym finančným systémom?

Sucasny financny system napriek silnej regulacii nedokaze v dlhodobom horizonte zabezpecit ani ochranu vkladov ani stabilitu mien. Prave naopak. Napriek tomu dokaze spotrebitelom poskytnut aky-taky komfort pri jeho pouzivani, aj ked za cenu straty sukromia a nemalych poplatkov. Bitcoin a ine virtualne meny umoznuju nakladat s hodnotou uplne inym sposobom, davaju spotrebitelovi ovela vacsiu volnost a obrovske moznosti, a to vsetko zadarmo alebo za skutocne male poplatky. Problemom vsak este stale je komfort vo vyuzivani tychto mien a ich moznosti, a tiez relativne male rozsirenie virtualnych mien v komercnej sfere.

- Akým spôsobom platba v BTC u Vás prebieha ?

Vystavena faktura ponuka moznost platby v eurach na ucet spolocnosti ako aj platbu v bitcoinoch na urcenu bitcoinovu penazenku, pri ktorej si zakaznik moze uplatnit zlavu vycislenu na fakture. V momente vystavenia faktury je urceny vymenny kurz, ktory plati bez ohladu na pohyb kurzu do doby uhrady.

- Čo všetko je možné za BTC u Vás kúpiť ?

 Spolocnost 0011 s.r.o. akceptuje bitcoiny za vsetky svoje sluzby, t.j.  v sucasnosti najma IT poradenstvo.

- Ako riešite kolísavosť kurzu ? prispôsobujete ceny zmenám alebo sú fixné ?

Kazda faktura je vystavena s inym kurzom, no ten sa spravidla do doby splatnosti meni. Obe strany sa tym padom vystavuju kurzovemu riziku, ktore je v sucasnosti akceptovatelne...

- Zaznamenali ste pri používaní bitcoinu nejaké riziká, ktoré vás ako podnikateľa odrádzajú od jeho používania?

Spominane kurzove riziko moze byt vaznejsim problemom najma pri nepredvidanych prudkych pohyboch na trhu. Dalsim problemom pre podnikatela je nejasne legislativne prostredie v oblasti virtualnych mien. Samozrejme, kazda inovacia si vyzaduje nejaky cas, kym moze byt pohodlne adoptovana vacsinou trhu. Ti, ktori dokazu vyuzit jej prinos uz v zaciatkoch, casto ziskavaju naskok a konkurencnu vyhodu...

Prispevok pre TABLET.TV

Pre portal TABLET.TV sme poskytli interview k vyvoju ceny bitcoinu. Casti tohto interview boli zaradene do prispevku Co sa deje s cenou bitcoinu?