I have a problem. I have a big problem that could be solved if we had a Steem Debit Card.
Right now I have to use Bitcoin as my fiat gateway, and even this is getting really complicated. Now that SegWit has activated, I am not even sure how my BitPay card is functioning in this super volatile Bitcoin environment. Come November, it even looks like Bitcoin could split again. This is further confusing my mind. But do you know what could completely get rid of these issues for me and a lot of others?
A Steem Debit Card
You may not know this, but competition is coming in the blockchain-based social media sphere, and I'm not talking about Synereo (this time). By chance, I discovered a new blockchain social media site called Nexus.
And although I think Steem's ecosystem is desirable to me (due to all the effort I've put into it), I was struck by one feature that Nexus plans to create in 2018: A Social Debit card which its users can load up with Social coins, and the card converts them to fiat every time you use at a store. So, this would mean, you could go grocery shopping at your local store, and use your Nexus card for that. Here's the blurb from Nexus:
Nexus Social Debit Card
The Nexus debit card will connect directly to the user’s account wallet. The debit card will allow users to spend their Social coins as fiat currency anywhere in the world. Fees will be minimal and as the card uses Visa infrastructure you can use it almost anywhere in the world. The Nexus debit card is planned for development and distribution in late 2018. Seamless Apple Pay and Android pay integrations will follow shortly after.
If you have never heard of Nexus, read here: https://www.applancer.co/blog/15-insights-on-nexus-social
It appears to be the Facebook killer because of privacy. All the content on Nexus will not be searchable by Google, just the way Facebook is. This means that Steemit would more closely resemble Reddit, but users who want privacy could go to Nexus. The cryptocurrency of Nexus is called Social. Social is the coin's name. Everything about Nexus, seems aimed at Facebook users because Nexus has also made advertising an integral part of its system. If an advertiser wants space on there, they have to buy Social coins to do so.
Nexus has already created mobile apps, too. Both android and ios. I haven't tried it out, but their roadmap looks modeled on Facebook and I must admit the fact that they already have plans for a Social Debit card is very appealing.
Let's Not Forget What Happened To MySpace
Sometimes when we're in Steemit, we think it's the greatest thing, and we lose sight of what is actually happening right underneath us. One of the biggest weaknesses of Steem right now is this:
We have no direct way of going from fiat to Steem and from Steem to fiat.
I feel that it is time to get serious about creating a well-functioining Steem debit card before Nexus does this.
If we wait too long, users will just go towards the project that meets their needs. I have this urgent need right now, and many others do too. As Bitcoin becomes more and more confusing to use and convert into and out of, this seems like the most ideal time to get a Steem debit card created. And no, I don't mean using Payza for this thing. I mean, getting something solid, done by professsionals. (Have you read the customer complaints about Payza? Ask @kaylinart about her experience with Payza).
Who is capable of pulling this off? What do we need to do as a community to get this off and running?
I don't have a background in payments, but I can tell you one thing, I am seriously motivated to figure this out. There is no better time than the present to form a group to get this going. Is someone already working on this?
3 Reasons
- We need this solution now.
- This would greatly help mass adoption.
- We want Steem to do this before Nexus does it.
Any ideas and feedback welcome. Any non-scammy people who have background experience in payments, please stand up.
Thanks for reading,
Stellabelle
Open Ledger working on that for bitshares. The card should be out soon. I think that this will be for steem also.
https://blog.openledger.info/2017/08/18/openledger-all-in-one-payment-card-solution/
Bossman!
Sweet!
If this happens and a card is released the price of steem would jump.
Yup. Perhaps not immediately - but over the next few months, as users spend even more Steem, the economy grows, people see their friends using Steem debit cards and such... it's a finger on the scale towards bigger steems.
I have no expertise or ability to help here, but I'm rooting for you on this one Stella!
Totally agree..that's so true
Every new and good feature will make the price jump. :)
The card looks great, and the idea is good too
Great post and totally agree with everything you say,having a debit card would be amazing.
Wow... We seriously need this Card , i don't even like steem going through other fiat currencies...I will repost this for others to see and call upon those who can make this happen. Thanks ma'am for this👍
We need a STEEM card that brings a percentage of the transactions to SP. That will self-regulate the STEEM value and allow Steemit community to still use/spend their STEEM.
That's so subjective.
hey @stellabelle... late to your game but a couple of my favorite dudes think we'd get along swell.... and my husband just got a Nexus account for this very reason. Told him he was a sellout but... :shrug: xoxo
The only thing I can do for you is to upvote and resteem your post, I hope they will do this card as soon as posible ! I am not earning a lot and I don't think that I need it ( only if it will be free ) , but people that are earning good money for sure need it. Very good idea, thanks for trying to improve steemit, I am doing that also by advertising steemit everywhere I can.
that is awesome! great post and thank you for the update! with TenX pay card just hitting iOS and the physical debit cards coming to U.S soon, this cryptocurrency physical debit card market is going to blow
It would be perfect
I would love to run my Steem debit card through the machine at checkout. I'd be interested to know the plan for processing fees...monthyly?...annual?....per purchase? This would encourage Steemians to upload Steem dollars, presumably strengthening the Steem share value.
Of course, using the debit card on Ebay or Amazon would be world-changing. I know believing is a good thing, so I will keep the energy positive...Very interesting, to say the least!
Peace.
I agree with your point that some noticeable changes and additions need to be made to be sure Steemit is not becoming another Nokia story.
The post from @steemitblog last week was very motivating to me! I am happy to read that web developers have been hired and that development on the mobile side is planned as well.
I want Steemit and Steem to succeed and announcements like this give me confidence it will. Eventually there must be a seamless integration to the fiat world since this will become the standard for crypto currencies in general in my opinion.
@stellabelle we have a few options!!!
example are
https://tokencard.io/
https://www.tenx.tech/
https://www.mona.co/
Well, it appears we need to convince TenX and Monaco to add Steem. Who has an inside connection on this?
Well tokencard and monaco could use some publicly tenx took the show!! with the large steemit community they will take the offer as a way to expand their user base. Tweet to them? And then post another post asking steemit to vote.
Ask popular steemit users to write posts to spread the info!!
Made last it seen went no just when of by.
all the crypto debit cards use the Visa payment network. Using existing infrastructure is the easiest way to go.
I'd love to spend my Steem more directly. I've got a Bitwala card that uses Bitcoin, but that's slow and incurs fees. Steem would be better, but it's just not big enough for companies to take it really seriously. Maybe if Bitcoin hits problems they will look at alternatives. Meanwhile the Bitcoin on my card is gaining some value :)
I also got a BitWala card. I just tested it the other day for the first time and it works. The exchange into BitCoin is annoying and costs the usual whooping $5 transaction fee. But I think it works pretty fast although I was waiting over an hour for the tranaction. Compared to several days with my bank this is ligthning speed.
I compared the fees to some others, e.g. Xapo, and it seemed similar. I accept there will be some costs involved. I've used mine a fair bit on-line and in shops. It's worked most of the time.
hey @steevc, bitwala is really slow and although fees are supposedly lower than other bitcoin cards, their fee structure can be confusing.. see my article below about wirex.. (in the meantime) until steem sort out a card !
It's working for me. @teambitwala are on Steemit. Hope they will get active again.
I hope it all works well for you @steevc there are lots of different options coming out all the time !
i like the idea but then this decentralized system will get under centralized banking
Wow it will be easier to use. The world will need Steem. Nice @stellabelle :)
stellabelle is just a dream or could be a reality, it will be awesome
many coins have debit cards already...
Yes i know but i want a card just for steem :)
I approve this commentCurrently I am not withdrawing STEEM out to FIAT, but at some point I will. I have often wondered about an easier way besides the multi-step process of exchanges and account holders like coinbase to do it.
It's complicated enough for people who know how to do it, it must be a daunting task to newcomers. Something that needs to be looked into since they are getting geared up for massive on-boarding of new accounts after HF20.
IF Steem doesn't do it, another one will. Competition is coming.
Yes they are, the real players are building on EOS (not ETH though) but they are coming. Peerity.io, Smoke.Network, etc. We get updates every week in our hangouts.
I have grown to love Steemit, but they need to get their act together fast. Others are learning for the Steemit experiment and will launch better, fully-functional platforms before we know it.
yeah, and another i noticed, embermine is now building on EOS too.....
Exactly
@stellabelle, that's a very interesting point. at the moment there are many debit cards and services available and it's a massive arse to move steem to a payment point at a grocery store.. it is doable but involves at least 4 steps and 2 or 3 sets of fees.
steemit could easily develop a debit card., but who would organise it ? that's the question.
you need a card issuer and a payment system backed by VISA, from what's out there already it doesn't look too difficult to get one going. I would happily hold a steem card !
this is one for the big fish to toy around with 100% upvoted
in the meantime wirex.com is fairly straightforward and fees are (at least) transparent.
here's a post about wirex i wrote in july
Nice idea. I need this card ;-)
Resteemed and upvoted.
I hope soon it come :)
I know this is just a mockup with a random card but it looks really good with the steemit logo. If we had something like this it would help reduce the number of steps before a transaction and just make life much more easier.
I really like the look of the Nexus Social Debit Card and if we have something like steem it will definitely help bridge the gap between steem and fiat which we all want. We want steem to be its own entity and not to be dependent on bitcoin and its price fluctuations as well as how some bitcoin debit cards keep freezing their steem wallets.
Steem is usually peoples first stepping stone into crypto and we should make it easy for people to convert to fiat rather than people moving away to things like Nexus which seem to just be easier to use.
I hope there are some people with the necessary experience to help make this concept a success as I believe it is going to be a major driving force to make this platform even better @stellabelle
Yes, need to make it easier.
i thinks its time to move to nexus now
Greatest idea ever !! I don't think a Steem is like the other social media , what social media pays you like this one does , plus it seems to be increasing as we speak . I saw Steem rising last week and it still goes up .
Steem Team 🥂
Nice topic
We desperately needed this card you had followed the Nexus website
WOW thanks for this and sharing. Have to check it out. But @stellabelle arent there already NEXUS and NEXXUS?? - (see coinmarketcap)
The name of the coin isn't Nexus. That's the network. Their coin is called Social. @stellabelle mentioned this in the article.
I like the idea that it can be used world wide but will one need a cell phone ? I hope not that's one thing keeping me from checking out block trades.
This is an amazing suggestion. Steemit is becoming more and more its own independent community, and if the debit card is created (the photo looks really cool) , the sky would be the limit. I am new here so I can't give a comprehensive reason on how it can be done or by whom, but I fully support the project and really think it would be an incredible feature and a massive step forward in the right direction for this unique community. I will be happy to offer any help (like researching etc) if needed.
well, just find out how we can make this into a reality. I am willing to throw some Steem at this if it is done right.
https://steemit.com/debitcard/@stellabelle/3-reasons-we-need-a-steem-debit-card-now-let-s-do-this-before-nexus-social-does#@sames/re-stellabelle-3-reasons-we-need-a-steem-debit-card-now-let-s-do-this-before-nexus-social-does-20170901t011533347z
Ok, I will look into it!
I checked out few fintech companies and came across the ones some members have already mentioned including Tenx, Wirex and Monaco. There seems to be a hype around them so it might be worth contacting them and see whether they would be interested in acquiring more members. Additionally, there are many cryptocurrency experts on steemit so it could be a good idea to copy this post but give it a new title like 'Calling all cryptocurrency experts...' since they would have the contacts or at least get together on steemit chat and exchange ideas. And if then they need support from any of us, they would give us some kind of direction.
This is brilliant @stellabelle! This could help anyone who is new to crypto currency wolrd and this will just make things simpler and easier 👍🏽 What do we need to make this happen?
we need dedicated people to stand up, and who know what they are doing.
Glad that it's not impossible and we can be positive on making it happen, together 👍🏽
Not a bad idea but it will involve central banks if you make any transaction via this debit card, will have to show where the money came from and then, heavy taxes would be imposed.
It seems like there has always been a valid concern about protecting Steemit by making it difficult for people to withdraw their Steem quickly, and that is a protective and good concern. On the other hand, I would have already bought Steem and invested some money if there was an easy way to do so, but it's too complicated for the average schmuck like me.
Bitpay is working fine with Bittrex at least... But a Steemcard would make things so much more convenient!!!
Awesome idea!
If only...I've spent hours today researching how I could exchange Steem to my local currency and my brain is about to explode. Not that I needed today, but it's a good thing to know you have some easy option that doesn't involve wallets and exchanges and lots of fees. Thank you for raising the issue.
Definitely needed... Perhaps some of the big players will weigh in on this? People with better knowledge of the "innards" of the banking system?
Viewing the problem from my purely "outsider" position, I would suggest that perhaps the best/fastest way to achieve this would be to "piggyback" on one of the existing Bitcoin cards.
Approach, for example, Wirex and say "How about a spinoff for us? We're Steem, a large and rapidly growing community, and you'll no doubt want us in your portfolio."
😄😇😄
I love to see steemit developing from angles, i saw recently that PM will arrive on steemit also some changes in the sistem so minnows wont depend so much on whales...now thinking at a card. Good times are coming.
In the US, this would require approaching a bank (or other money issuer like PayPal) directly and asking them to sponsor the proposal.
I would suggest starting with a writeup explaining how it would benefit a money issuer to hold a balance in Steem, and what value Steem has both within and outside of the community.
As I have said many times, Steem is different than bitcoin because it is attached to a real product that generates value in addition to having the scarcity and security of other cryptos.
Here is a useful Quora Article on getting this sort of thing done;
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-issue-a-debit-card
You said everything right @stellabelle.... massive action needs to be taken before its to late. Anyone can find a solution to this?
Off topic comment warning!What is the code you run to determine your "dead followers"? I have always wondered what that looks like.
Steem will be very valuable if it can be spent more directly. The crypto steem will be mass adopted if it can be converted to fiat directly or used for purchase at several malls around the world. Hopefully this post will get to those that has the technical ability to help with this debit card project. This is an eye opener ma'am. Thank you for your concern.
We would fly away .....
It would definitely increase the value of steem as well.
I neeeeeeed jejeje
Thanks for posting! Very interesting - will check their site. Yes steem needs a debit card to compete😮
We should make meme for it with sign "Dude, shut up and take my money - to make that card". upped!
100% agree with you. I love steemit but lets face facts here. Steemit needs to be first with this.
although I dont think nexus is as ready as they say. I am on their platform. it is nice, easy to use, but monitization has not yet been added, and when it does, it seems it will be for stores and merchants, not post rewards (maybe I am wrong here and I have not used the platform much).
If you want help with this initiative, I offer any I can give, but I don't know much about payments. May be able to find someone in #dev that can help
Please do keep us posted on this idea, would love to see it come true. Resteemed