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The First Bitcoin Supermarket in Arnhem, the Netherlands

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:41 PM
Giulio Prisco
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:41 PM

SparArnhem, the capital of the province of Gelderland and one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, has the first supermarket where you can pay in Bitcoin. The Spar Arnhem Centraal started to accept Bitcoin this week.

Spar Arnhem Centraal, opened in March 2014, is a relatively new supermarket near Arnhem central station and the city center. It offers the usual assortment of consumer goods and groceries found in all supermarkets.

The supermarket is a key feature of modern life, because it offers a one-stop opportunity to buy everything that we need for daily life. I have long been persuaded that the Bitcoin economy will really take off when we will be able to use Bitcoin to buy not only exotic optional items sold online, but also to buy the basic goods that we need everyday over the counter. If supermarkets start accepting Bitcoin, those of us who are paid in Bitcoin (I am one) will be able to literally “live” almost entirely in Bitcoin.

The World’s Most Bitcoin-friendly City

The Spar Arnhem Centraal is not an independent supermarket, but it is part of Spar, a Dutch multinational retail chain and franchise with approximately 12,500 stores in 35 countries worldwide. Spar operates through most European countries, parts of Africa, Asia and Oceania. So, this initiative can be seen as a pilot project of the Spar group and could prepare the way for other supermarkets to accept Bitcoin.

Bitcoin enthusiasts in Arnhem call their city “the Bitcoin City” and claim that it’s the world’s most Bitcoin-friendly city. Local and tourists can attend the event “Arnhem Bitcoin Metropolis ” on November 28.

What do you think of the first Bitcoin supermarket? Will it make a difference? Comment below!

Images from Wikimedia Commons, Kunal Mehta and Shutterstock.