As I argued in Japan Bitcoin #1, the Japanese government’s designation of bitcoin as legal tender in April 2017 unleashed dramatic consumer adoption as well as cryptocurrency merchant acceptance. Today, over 50% of the world’s bitcoin trading volume occurs in Japanese yen and nearly 20,000 retail and online merchants in Japan accept bitcoin as payment.

Granted, the debate over whether bitcoin makes a better form of payment or store of value (or neither) is warranted; however, this ignores a broader point about merchant acceptance.

When a housewife walks into one of the hundreds of BIC Camera stores nationwide (a well-known national consumer electronics chain) to buy a new washing machine, ubiquitous banners advertising bitcoin acceptance reinforce cryptocurrency’s perception of legitimacy. The bitcoin logo is becoming nearly as prevalent as the AMEX logo at many national chains.

Japan led the way, but merchants around the world are increasingly adopting cryptocurrency as payment options.

Even Slovenia has recently opened its BTC City. Just outside the capital Llubljana (which is a gorgeous little city if you haven’t been yet) a 475,000 sq.m. stretch encompasses 500 retail stores united in their acceptance of bitcoin.

One of the unintended consequences of writing two blockchain books is a near inundation from crypto promotional requests. I ignore the bulk of them, but this one caught my attention, perhaps because I enjoy eating poké:

Joining the ranks of several Manhattan eateries, a restaurant called Pokee in Greenwich Village is now accepting cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. At Pokee, you can order a bowl of the much-loved Hawaiian cuisine of poké and pay for it with Ethereum, IOSToken, or even OmiseGo which we know well in Japan.

Next time I pass through NYC I intend to visit Pokee for some poké. Not sure I’ll pay with cryptocurrency, but we’ll see. If you find yourself in Greenwich Village anytime soon, please consider dropping by Pokee and tell me how it is.