A YouTube user embarked on a journey in September to see if he could survive entirely on Bitcoin as a means of payment as he traveled through 40 different countries.
In an interview with Cointelegraph on Monday, YouTube user Paco De La India (“Paco from India”) said that while the spread of the omicron variant had changed his original travel plans to some extent, he was still amazed at the number of cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. How many people accept Bitcoin in countries that are in a legal or regulatory gray area. Paco started his tour in the Indian city of Bangalore, selling his belongings in September 2021 and relying mostly on BTC donations to fund his travels — so far he has toured India, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Cambodia.
The YouTuber said he prefers non-custodial wallets and the Lightning Network for Bitcoin transactions. He originally planned to visit 40 countries for 10 days each, but due to the restrictions of the new crown epidemic, his itinerary has been changed. Paco is grappling with mandatory quarantines, the requirement in many countries for tourists to stay within their borders for at least 14 days, and the extra cost of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-style testing.
Paco in Siem Reap, Cambodia
According to Paco, in order to travel to the UAE, the two who were tested for the new crown virus in India did not hesitate to accept Bitcoin instead of fiat rupees. In addition, he is also negotiating with testers in Thailand to travel to Cambodia for PCR testing. The YouTuber attributed the acceptance of cryptocurrency payments in part to officials being more concerned with validating vaccine certificates than COVID-19 testing.
"At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper," Paco said. "It's just a piece of paper with no way of verifying it. The only thing they're checking right now is the vaccine because there's a QR code."
While a number of countries have announced plans to use blockchain technology to verify the authenticity of COVID-19 test results, there appears to be no international standard for immigration officials to recognize tests conducted in foreign countries. For example, passengers flying to the United States are required to quickly complete the new crown virus test within 24 hours of arrival, but not all health passport applications recommended by American Airlines can recognize the QR code provided by foreign testing centers.
Aside from COVID-19 testing, Paco said he was able to survive on bitcoin as a payment method, often by chance, and that he never imposed the cryptocurrency on an unsuspecting party. According to the YouTuber, he was forced to avoid most public transport in the four countries and use a debit card to fuel his bike.
“Thailand is very friendly to cryptocurrencies,” Paco said. "Cambodia is another (very friendly) place. The UAE, it seems so, but I think it's only between the richest people."
He added:
“I’ve changed my approach a lot. I’ve gone from talking to older people who’ve had their life, to looking for young people who are really tech-savvy. They’re really curious about Bitcoin. It’s always been like this: They want to make money. Every Individuals see Bitcoin as a tool to make money.”
Cointelegraph Chinese is a blockchain news information platform, and the information provided only represents the author's personal opinion, has nothing to do with the position of the Cointelegraph Chinese platform, and does not constitute any investment and financial advice. Readers are requested to establish correct currency concepts and investment concepts, and earnestly raise risk awareness.
XingChi
