Atlanta, Georgia-based bitcoin payment processor BitPay has set their sights on St. Petersburg, Florida.
The city of about 250,000 residents could very well become the States’ next hot spot for bitcoin activity, and it all seemed to start with a football game.
Back in June, BitPay announced that they have become the new game title sponsor for the St. Petersburg bowl, a postseason game that airs on national television.
Since then, the company has been working to make the Bitcoin Bowl name work for them, attempting to piece together an ecosystem in which people can put their bitcoin to use.
Part of that has even involved BitPay executives traveling to St. Petersburg to court merchants for the Bitcoin Bowl, a title that will remain in place for at least three years.
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And it’s worked. So far, a number of businesses in the area have signed on with BitPay. One of those happens to be the St. Petersburg Museum of History (as reported by the Tampa Bay Times).
Since 1921, the Museum has worked to “preserve and communicate the history and heritage of Florida” with a focus on St. Petersburg and the Pinellas Peninsula.
According to BitPay co-founder and CEO Stephen Pair, the idea is to “create a permanent bitcoin hub” in the city, and they are certainly taking the first steps in making that a reality.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History’s marketing director commented that accepting bitcoin for admission ($15 per visitor) would push the Museum out “to a niche market” that wouldn’t ordinarily visit the Museum.
Overall, a nice and educational way to put bitcoin to good use.
BitPay is hoping to attract at least 100 merchants in time for the Bitcoin Bowl, which takes place on the 26th of December.