Joerg Platzer, owner of Room77, a bar in Berlin that has accepted Bitcoin since 2011, describes how patrons who wanted to pay with Bitcoin originally had to type long Bitcoin addresses into their laptops, how people’s interest in Bitcoin correlates with the markets and how the demographics of the Bitcoin users have changed over time. He discusses why the bar discourages users from sending their Bitcoins from Coinbase, Circle and BitPay, how crypto companies can surveil their companies more than banks do, and how they impose U.S, laws on other jurisdictions. He also talks about the Lightning Network point-of-sale device that they’re using, how what he believes to be the first routed Lightning Network payment occurred at Room77, and how surprised he by the number of people eager to pay via Lightning. Plus, he reveals which other coins he is open to, and which ones he is not.

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Episode links:

Room77: http://room77.de/

Joerg Platzer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j%C3%B6rg-platzer/

2014 CoinDesk article on Room77: https://www.coindesk.com/evolution-bitcoin-behind-berlin-bar

The Room77 Bitcoin Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Bitcoin-Lab-Berlin/events/qbbwmhyzjbjb/

Photos of some of the Bitcoin-related signs I saw at Room77: