Nice!
[Suspicious link removed]j.com/digits/2014/04/24/first-bitcoin-vaults-now-xapo-debuts-debit-cards/
Xapo, the maker of underground bitcoin vaults, debuted a debit card on Thursday, marking its latest bid to woo more customers to the virtual currency.
The company — which currently offers two main services, a vault for people to store their bitcoins and a wallet to facilitate transactions — says the Xapo debit card will function like a normal debit card, except one backed by bitcoins instead of traditional currency. The card will be linked to the customer’s Xapo Wallet and will function anywhere traditional debit cards or credit cards are used, off or online. The digital version of the card is free, but a physical card will cost $15.
“We are focused on making bitcoin more secure and safer and making it easier to use, the debit card is something that our customers have requested,” said Wences Casares, the founder and CEO of Xapo.
Xapo, which recently raised $20 million, is part of a growing group of startups that is trying to build infrastructure to make bitcoin more palatable to consumers. The virtual currency’s short history has been somewhat volatile, shaken by reports of hackers stealing bitcoins. Mt. Gox, the Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange folded in February, after losing hundreds of millions of dollars after hackers took advantage of vulnerabilities in bitcoin software.
Mr. Casares believes that it is possible to create a system where average consumers feel comfortable and secure about holding and using bitcoins. To that end, Xapo owns a network of underground vaults to store users’ bitcoin information. The company charges an annual fee to store deposits but all deposits are fully insured. The wallet and debit card service are free, except for the $15 charge to get a physical copy of the debit card.