You guys are overthinking it. Bitcoin already replaces the structure of Western Union. If you try to build a business that handles both ends of the transfer, then you are just copying WU's business model and you don't even need Bitcoin. You could use your own internal ledger system. In fact there are a lot of underground money transfer organizations that do just this. The thing about Bitcoin, is that the system is in place. All you need is a way to exchange local currency for Bitcoin. We already have these to an extent. But Bitcoin is Western Union, it doesn't need a Western Union business to be built around it. It just needs exchanges.
So what we need is for corner stores to hang a sign out front saying "bitcoin bought and sold here". Person A goes into the store with Country A cash, buys bitcoins from merchant. Person A then sends those bitcoins to person B. Person B walks into corner store near them, transfers bitcoins to merchant, and then walks out with Country B cash.
Anybody have a friend who owns a store? I think this will happen naturally as bitcoin catches on around the world, but you can certainly help the process along by suggesting it to the businesses around you. Maybe even tell them about your cousin in Azerbaijan who you want to send money to, and if they started trading bitcoins they would get commision. Help them see the benefit to themselves: If they charge a commision of the right amount, they could keep more themselves but charge the customer less than using other forms of money transfer.
Well there are already stores that accept Bitcoin as payment. If they aren't hording them, what are they supposed to do with them? Mark them up 2% and sell them back to the public of course. Since there is a generally high general demand for bitcoin right now, this seems like the easiest way to get them into circulation. Most people I talk to want to get one or two to see how it works or whatever. Going through Dwolla and Mt Gox is too much hassle for them. But if they could go to say, that restaurant in New York and buy some of their Bitcoin reserve on the spot, it might be worth while.
), but before the bank clerk sent out the wire, they had to "confirm with the manager". The "confirmation" wasted me 10 minutes and in the end I was told that the cash deposit would have to be held for 2 business days before the funds can be sent out. Bank #2 couldn't clear bank #1's certified cheque on the same day (there's that ineptitude again) so I had no choice but to do the transfer in cash, and now my money is being held hostage.
