This episode from September 15, 2014, covered major developments in the cryptocurrency space, focusing on institutional adoption, regulatory threats, and retail technology resistance.
Main Topics Discussed:
* United Way Adoption: The United Way, the official charity of major corporations (NFL, ExxonMobil, GE), became the largest non-profit to accept Bitcoin through Coinbase.
* Russian Ban Threat: Russia was planning a ban on Bitcoin by 2015, despite other countries like Ecuador and Bolivia adopting the currency.
* Retail Resistance to Apple: Major retailers, Walmart and Best Buy, announced they would not adopt Apple's new NFC/Apple Pay system for checkout registers.
* Consumer Trends: A report suggested that millennials were increasingly preferring Bitcoin and web cash over traditional credit cards.
Key Quotes:
* "United Way... now accepts Bitcoin." (Highlighting institutional acceptance.)
* "If you're Walmart and Best Buy, not so much." (Regarding the rejection of Apple's system.)
* "I wonder if they can just display a QR code on their screen and we could scan that. Just as easy." (A commentary on alternative, simpler payment methods.)
People/Entities Mentioned:
United Way, NFL, ExxonMobil, General Electric, Walmart, Best Buy, Apple, Coinbase.
Bitcoin Price:
The price was reported as steady, with a last price of $473, a high of $476, and a low of $471. (Lightcoin was noted at $5.09).