Ode to Bitcoin

This morning I discovered something terrible: in a drunken haze last night, I had lost my wallet, which contained all my cash reserves and my bank card.

Alone. In a foreign country. One with which Russia doesn’t even have diplomatic relations.

Naturally, I had plenty of options.

  • Get married urgently and stay in Georgia
  • Walk home on foot, racing against a Yakut shaman
  • Organize a meet-and-greet with readers in Batumi and ask for a loan
  • Learn the phrase “madam, monsieur, I haven’t eaten for six days” in Georgian

But instead, I started investigating whether there were any crypto ATMs in Batumi. I found only one, but that was all I needed. From there, it was just a matter of technique.

Approach the crypto ATM
Tap the screen, the menu appears, select Withdraw Cash
Select the desired currency, which in my case definitely means Bitcoin
Check the rate, select the amount
The crypto ATM generates a QR code, the code is scanned by a bitcoin wallet on a smartphone, an outgoing transaction is created; you need to choose a higher fee so that the bits arrive quickly, otherwise you’ll be stuck waiting in front of the crypto ATM for a long time.

Then the crypto ATM prints a receipt with a certain redemption code and a notification that cash can be claimed after the first transaction confirmation. When the confirmation arrives, you can go back to the crypto ATM again.

Enter that same redemption code
And that’s it, the crypto ATM dispenses the coveted cash

That’s how I played the part of a blacklisted extremist, and consequently, someone without access to banking services. As is easy to see, Bitcoin is a great help in such extreme situations.

Value the freedom of maneuver that cryptocurrencies grant us! This is exactly what they were designed for.

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