Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Re: Arguments for Bitcoin against UPI?
by
o_e_l_e_o
on 14/02/2023, 14:11:19 UTC
And can the convenience factor of UPI hinder in bitcoin adoption?
You keep talking about convenience, but I disagree that electronic fiat transactions are any more convenient that bitcoin transactions. It might seem that way only because fiat is what you are used to.

To pay anyone with fiat electronic, you first need a bank account of some description, which usually means visiting a bank in person and taking a bunch of personal documents along with you, or scanning in a bunch of personal documents and sending them off to the bank. Then you'll have to wait a number of days for it all to be approved. Then you'll have to deposit some fiat, which again will take a number of days to clear. Maybe you then need to open a credit card account on top of that bank account, or similar. More KYC and more delays. With bitcoin, you can open a wallet and load it with coins in the comfort of your own home without risking any of your personal information in 10-20 minutes.

To pay via fiat electronically, you tap your card or your phone. To pay via bitcoin, you scan a QR code with your phone. No real difference here.

Then from the merchant's point of view. With fiat it can take days before the money actually arrives in their account and they can spend it. With bitcoin, the money actually arrives in usually somewhere around 10-30 minutes, although the merchant can spend it immediately with a CPFP transaction if they wish. Or they can use Lightning, in which case it does arrive instantly.

When you compare similar metrics, bitcoin is far more convenient than fiat. Not to mention all the other benefits that bitcoin brings which we've already discussed - security, privacy, and censorship resistance.