The Bitcoin payments firm, Azteco, recently received a $6 million seed funding led by Block co-founder and former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey. Azteco aims to simplify the Bitcoin purchasing process for unbanked populations worldwide, and its unique voucher system presents an ideal opportunity to do so. Similar to purchasing a mobile phone top-up or a gift card, Azteco users can buy vouchers physically or online, which can then be redeemed for Bitcoin, thereby eliminating the need to go through an exchange.
With more than two billion people worldwide lacking access to financial services, Azteco’s system can potentially be revolutionary for many dealing with financial management, money transfer, and credit access issues. Dorsey expressed his enthusiasm for supporting the project, acknowledging its potential to close the gap for the unbanked population by ushering in an era of financial self-determination secured by local communities. Other investors include Lightning Ventures, Hivemind Ventures, Ride Wave Ventures, Aleka Capital, Visary Capital, Gaingels, and serial entrepreneur Sunil Rajaraman.
Azteco vouchers can be acquired in 195 countries, and the company plans to use the funds to improve its product offerings and expand its presence in Latin America and Europe. The Bitcoin world sees Azteco’s project as the ideal solution to banking the unbanked, providing more flexibility to users through this alternative currency. Matt Jaffe, an Azteco representative, reiterated the importance of alternative, independent solutions, empowering individuals residing in countries with unstable economies and unreliable financial institutions.
However, a point of contention that might arise is the concept of “no KYC” Bitcoin, referring to the lack of necessity for users to provide identifying “know your customer” information when purchasing Bitcoin. Since Azteco only deals with small Bitcoin amounts, the company does not need to adhere to KYC laws in the jurisdictions it operates. While this could be seen as an advantage in terms of privacy and security for users, it might also raise red flags for authorities concerned about the potential misuse of the platform.
Nevertheless, by offering vouchers for small amounts of Bitcoin, Azteco is paving the way for financial self-determination, ensuring users have control over their financial lives without the need for traditional currencies or bank accounts. Undoubtedly, the backing of Jack Dorsey and other investors gives the project a vote of confidence and could potentially change the landscape of the cryptocurrency market in the long run.
Source: Decrypt
