We've got some big updates for Bitbills, including brand new bank cards! They're super cool, and we think they're another great step towards making bitcoin usable in our everyday lives. They'll be ready to order soon, and pics are coming even sooner!
Read on about bank cards and other updates in our press release below. Check out the shiny site redesign too. Can't wait to hear your thoughts and feedback!Bitbills Update
Press Release
7/9/11
Since our release on May 9th, the demand for Bitbills has been tremendous. We received preorders for thousands of Bitbills, and we're proud to say that right now every single one of them has been shipped. Simultaneously, we've gotten a new production process up and running that will allow us to make Bitbills much faster, so from now on all Bitbills will be shipped "live", within 3 business days of the order.
With the recent wave of hacks that have shaken the Bitcoin community, everybody has been worried about the safety of their bitcoins. Although Bitcoin is the best way to make payments online, permanently storing bitcoins in your desktop client or on a website service leaves them susceptible to hacking. People love being able to store their bitcoins securely offline using Bitbills, and today we're announcing a new product that will make permanent bitcoin storage even easier: bank cards.
A bank card is a metal card engraved with a bitcoin address and the private key necessary to redeem bitcoins sent to that address. You can think of a bank card as a tangible "piggy bank" for your bitcoins. Bank cards do not come with a stored balance, but once you receive a card you can send as many bitcoins as you like to be stored on the card. As long as your bank card is secure in a private location, you can rest easy knowing that there's no way for your bitcoins to be hacked or stolen. When you're ready to spend the bitcoins on your card, you can "crack open the piggy bank" by simply scanning the private key and importing it into your bitcoin client. With every bank card purchased, we will also include both a metal and plastic payee card, which only displays the bank card's address, making it easy to accept payment on the go while your bank card remains in a safe location. We will begin accepting and shipping orders for bank cards next week!
Another thing customers have asked us for is lower fees. Beginning today, we're cutting our fees in half. Our newly lowered fees have made it possible for us to begin discussions with several third parties on bulk orders for resale. It is our hope that with such deals in place, Bitbills will soon be available for purchase through multiple channels, making it easier than ever for people to use bitcoins in their daily lives.
We have many more exciting announcements to come in the next few weeks, as we continue working to make Bitbills the safest and easiest way to hold and trade bitcoins.
