Tell us how you found out about Nano?

I had previously tried to buy bitcoin in 2013 but gave up (smart move). Around October of last year, I fell down the rabbit hole and started to learn about cryptocurrency’s benefits, issues, and use cases. I intended to HODL a range of projects which I thought had long-term potential, but the more I learned about Nano, the more it stood out among the crowd, so I became more involved in the community.

I first saw Nano in one of those speed demonstration videos and a friend of mine, who always seemed to pick winners, had bought some. The speed of transactions, the lack of mining, and innovative approach really attracted me.

So tell us about Nanoodle, what motivated you to create it?

Colin LeMahieu, the founder of Nano, reached out to me after I posted an idea about syncing up a Nano account to Xero accounting software, the Nano Foundation had found workarounds for this, but it seemed like an area that could be improved. I’ve run a few businesses over the years, and to keep it simple you need good accountancy software and your accounts to sync up to the software; it’s tedious stuff, so you want to make it as quick and painless as possible! I imagined how a Nano account could be treated like any business account, and I set out to make that a reality.

I also wanted a development side project but didn’t really have the necessary skills. I don’t get to do any development in my role as a Business Analyst, but I get to work between engineers and users, so I have some understanding of both sides. Luckily, the internet is full of guides, and the Nano community developers are pretty helpful. After an initial chat with Cronoh from NanoVault about how I might capture timestamps for transactions, I started spending time learning Angular and RestHeart to build a site, which evolved into Nanoodle.

My message would be to get involved and build around Nano if you have an idea, the community is supportive, and it’s not all hardcore developers. There are always people ready and willing to lend a hand or advice at the Nano Center.

What do you think it will take for Nano to get to the next level as a global digital currency?

There are still a lot of elements that need to be in place, but the main thing for an adoption strategy should be simple and effective communication; An agreed and consistent set of materials, e.g. symbol for writing the currency, brand logo, an agreed tagline, new ticker that matches the name, etc, are all crucial parts of the puzzle.

I’ve had chats with the team about their plans for the coins development, and the approach has been around a new standard which would move Nano to be more like the Japanese ¥; standard everyday purchases that don’t require decimal places but with numbers that aren’t so large that people can’t deal with them. It would be a significant change to make, but in the medium to long term would put the currency on a sound footing for widespread usage.

What do you think are the main barriers to mass adoption?

To spread the reach beyond the tech-savvy innovators, long-term I’d be thinking about having more accessible ways to purchase and liquidate Nano, through fiat on and off ramps. Simpler methods of storing Nano in user-friendly wallets, or perhaps even 3rd party custodial services, would help to meet the average user where they are, rather than having a technical barrier. I also think that having more compelling ways to spend Nano is essential, as a cryptocurrency is designed to be spent.

I would also love to see a couple of new initiatives in the Nano ecosystem as well, namely, the introduction of mixing and privacy-focused services and a greater embracing of the green credentials of Nano. I think the ecosystem would benefit from more Nano projects around renewable energy.

So plenty of work ahead!

You seem to be very active in the Nano Center, are there any other projects that interest you?

I’m involved in NanoQuake and supported Jay Coxon from the Nano Center during the beta release push — I even managed to get a couple of pull requests in! When you get your “seed scrambled” or you are “51 percent attacked” you can thank my first attempt at C code! My primary responsibility is to help test the new releases along with Pakman (CommodoreAmiga), and there is a good little team forming around that project.

Integrating Nano into gaming looks to be an excellent use-case due to the ability it has to handle micro-payments quickly.

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and help elevate the discussion surrounding adopt and integration of Nano. We would also like to thank you on behalf of the community for the hard work and dedication you have shown in contributing crucial tools to the ecosystem. And next time we get “Rai-gunned” in NanoQuake, we will think of you!