Trying to keep Smallchange (we contracted it to this from Small Change Service) and Aleph Web Store different services that use the same backend. Fiat payment options that are free in the U.S. exist (see Zelle) but in other places, this could get hairy.
I haven't forgotten about the QRL draft, that's on the docket right after the Aleph0 Extension. We're still working on the Web Store right now though. It will come equipped w/ Insured Positions (similar to the concept of futures), which come in at 4 risk levels. The fee rates range from 2% - 20%, and the expiration dates go from a few hours to half a year.
As time goes on we'll add other cryptocurrencies and cryptoasset tokens. We will also offer the Insured Positions on services/other subsidiaries of Aleph0 (kinda like stock). As you can probably tell, we're really big on compatibility and integration. We think that's "where the future is headed". We don't want to leave behind the core values and attributes the cryptocurrency community has come to expect and appreciate; but you have to admit the heavy consideration of the mechanics involved in the economics of crypto are starting to dominate the purchasing decisions of ERC20 token holders, and consequently the rest of us. Things ARE moving in the direction AIR had predicted some time ago.
Now a note on "what makes us qualified to be the administrators here":
Well for one, we'll have our money transmission licenses in place long before start offering anything like this. We're starting w/ licensing in places where it's even a big deal (like in the U.S. and China).
For another, Aleph is a for-profit cryptoasset with very tight restrictions on what we can or can't promise (so no more of this anonymity stuff from founders/co-founders) and Smallchange
is a non-profit organization. Meaning before you ever give us a cent (in Smallchange or Aleph) you will know who we are and what you can do if we fail to uphold a sale or cheat you. On top of that, we are striving for more transparency than in the last "regime" of AIRcoin. Instead of transparency releases, you'll get to know what should happen
before it happens, and then we'll write some more telling you what actually did happen and why we think so. All in an easy to digest single page. If you'd like us to write more, we can do so. If you'd like to sue us instead, you can do so.
Lastly, we're pushing
strongly for decentralization of this platform, but in the beginning that just can't be the case: you will need to establish trust w/ fiat-crypto exchangers at least until we can get Lightening or Interledger (possibly both?) working. What you will see, however, is that even at this stage we store as little info as possible about payments and identities as we can (we aren't Paypal, or even a payment processor for that matter). As we write better software for these things and observe useful trends to pick up, you'll start getting more autonomous "wallets", brick-and-mortar payment infrastructure compatible, economically minded features and organizations/companies separate from Aleph0 that provide value to businesses and consumers.
That is the ultimate goal after all.
Of course, let's see how the cryptoasset performs first. None of this is worth much if we can't all get back up from AIR, dust ourselves off, and get back into the marathon. Because that's what this all is, a marathon. You don't have to win, you just have to be one of the competitors that finished successfully.
It's not too late, just get creative. -- Proteus