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Dash Text, the popular service that enables individuals to send cryptocurrency via SMS text, is now engaging in beta tests of a Telegram and WhatsApp integration.

Starting today we are opening a private Beta for the Dash Text Telegram integration, if you want to participate and help us with feedback let us know by replying to this tweet or send us an email to feedback@dashtext.io — Dash Text (@dash_text) March 4, 2019

Telegram is the second most popular messaging platform in Venezuela, right behind WhatsApp. They are currently accepting applications for the Telegram beta test, but are limiting the number of participants and the participants will have to know Spanish as that is the only current available language option. The beta is available worldwide, but the finished product is expected to only launch in select countries at first. The WhatsApp beta test will be announced shortly.

Lorenzo Rey of Dash Text highlighted that their main focus is still remittances to Venezuela and they want to keep their focus on sending Dash via SMS text, but still recognize that there are many individuals, particularly outside the country, that use alternative messaging platforms. A Telegram and Whatsapp integration will more easily enable individuals to send money to each other even if their cell phone memory cannot support a SPV mobile wallet.

“Yes the main demand is remittances to Venezuela, that’s why we thought of integrating popular chatting apps, getting SMS integrations is a country by country process and most Venezuelans outside Venezuela actually do have smartphones so they could benefit from the same super user friendly UX of Dash Text right from the app they use to chat every day and send money to their families super easy”

Giving individuals more choices

Last year, Venezuela was in international news a lot for its extreme hyperinflation and is now making news again for closing its border with Brazil and may do the same with Colombia. The Dash Text team has recognized how Dash can help individuals escape these poor economic and political conditions and are still working through the chaos to deliver products and services that help individuals achieve financial and monetary freedom.

“The general situation in Caracas hasn’t changed much in the day to day life aside from certain marches that have occurred about 1 per month, the majority of the turmoil is in the border, but yes of course it has affected because the eyes of the people in Venezuela and the world are focused on the crisis, but the adoption work continues and people still need these solutions for their day to day life”

The value proposition of Dash Text has been validated by other companies in the same sector, such as CoinText, which enables individuals in multiple countries to send Dash or Bitcoin Cash via SMS text for near-zero fees. This is a valuable service, especially in Venezuela where almost 60% of the population do not have smartphones. Now decentralized and digital money is available to everyone for a minimal setup cost.

Catalyzing digital evolution

Dash has been targeting Latin American cryptocurrency adoption since these individuals are the ones that can benefit the most from Dash due to their current economic infrastructure. Significant Dash adoption started in Venezuela with conferences, merchant adoption, and user spending, but it is now spreading to Colombia and Brazil. Dash took a major step towards catalyzing growth not just with funding community outreach, but by partnering with Kripto Mobile to pre-load their phones with a Dash wallet, Uphold, Bitrefill, DiscoverDash, and some Dash on a paper wallet. This helped ensure that consumers were able to easily get on-boarded with Dash for less than $100 USD. Then Dash and Kripto Mobile made it even cheaper with a pre-enabled Dash Text SMS feature phone. These initiatives by Dash are helping individuals achieve monetary and financial freedom by lowering the switching costs of changing over from fiat to cryptocurrency.