"My view is that bitcoin should exist used as a currency tool, rather than a currency itself."

- Gareth Grobler, ICE³10 Founder

Cointelegraph SA recently attended the African Cards & Payments Briefing in Sandton, Johannesburg, where local bitcoin payment processing visitor PayFast stood out every bit a technology company with a vision.

We managed to catch up with Bitcoin good and local entrepreneur, Gareth Grobler, founder of S African bitcoin substitution Ice³ X. Gareth delivered a presentation around Bitcoin technology and chaired a VIP round-table discussion attended by manufacture professionals from beyond the continent. The discussions focused on dispelling the myths around Bitcoin and discovering the real invention, which is its blockchain engineering. Nosotros asked Gareth a few questions along the way:

Cointelegraph: What is the full general perception of Bitcoin amongst African industry professionals?

Gareth Grobler: Bitcoin, exactly how it works, the problem it solves and the possible use cases of the applied science is still very much a "novelty" for most of the wider audience inside the fintech infinite in Africa. Nigh of the publicity and focus has been effectually bitcoin the currency, famous cases like the "Silk Road" and other media coverage of newsworthy items where bitcoin related companies or entities were involved.

"Africa and very much Southward Africa have a need for transparent management and reporting engineering due to the abundance of natural resources we possess."

CT: How did y'all hear about Bitcoin?

GG: I came across the subject field when researching payment solutions for a platform I was working on at the time and was intrigued by the mechanism and ingenious solution to a problem programmers have been struggling with for decades. At first, the value and volatility puzzled me just as before long as I figured out the value of the underlying engineering science and possible use-cases I was determined to explore it further.

CT: What did you pay for with your first Bitcoin?

GG: Well I was lucky enough to receive some bitcoin from a friend, just did end up buying some more at US$12. I suppose I fall in the "if just I bought more" campsite, but I retrieve you could spin that line any manner yous like. I am satisfied that we have spent the final 18 months or then building a company that tin can be a part of the nigh important footstep taken forward, since the widespread adoption of the internet, and nosotros would not have been in the position to do so had bitcoin not gained such widespread media coverage when the toll was around US$i,200.

"My view is that bitcoin should be used every bit a currency tool, rather than a currency itself."

To read the full interview, follow the link to Cointelegraph South Africa.

Gareth Grobler

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