Community Interview: Vizique

I was fortunate  enough to have Vizique answer a few questions about his role in the Blackcoin Foundation and what he does to bring Blackcoin to into wider adoption.  

Thank you Vizique for taking the time to do this and the effort you put in everyday to build BC’s reputation on a professional level.

GeekGrind: Thanks for taking the time to do this.  Please introduce yourself for those who may not be familiar.

HI, my name is Michael Morris and I’m currently the Executive and Business Development Director for the BlackCoin Foundation.

GeekGrind: To my understanding, it is your job to bring BC out into the real world as an alternative payment method.  What does that entail?

A variety of reaching out to organisations to explore possibilities of partnerships, having BlackCoin on their platform, discussing with payment processors the mechanics to actually get an alternative digital currency into their systems and actively seeking out merchants and companies that would like to engage in the next step technology we offer. Coinkite is just one part of that process, there are so many more steps to take but as a first one it’s pretty impressive. There’s always something new appearing in the Bitcoin space, it can be quite a job to keep up!

GeekGrind: Congratulations on Coinkite. That is a huge milestone to reach in such a small amount of time.  How did that relationship develop?

Coinkite offered to put an alternate currency onto their platform for a fee of 25BTC. A group of like-minded investors saw the opportunity that was presented and took it. From there it’s been a progressive build towards June 1st when BlackCoin become a live and tradable currency on the Coinkite payment terminal system.

I have some of these myself I’m about to roll out across the City of Cambridge in the UK as part of a wider experiment we will be doing at the tail end of this year across the entire City with many different devices and solutions.

GeekGrind: Many people on bitcointalk have been asking you to reach out to Xapo and you have.  Can you explain a little as to what that service provides and what you feel it can do for BC?

I did reach out to Xapo as was suggested as a lot of people, including myself, see a potentially bright future there, time will tell as with all these solutions. Coin to Fiat and vice versa is always a goal that coins aspire to as it makes them more relevant and if that same card can be used anywhere in the world then the benefits are clear.

GeekGrind: Has there been any progress made with them since? If so, what is the general sentiment so far?

Sadly however we were not successful as they are not considering other coins other than Bitcoin at this time. They want to make sure their systems are bullet-proof before they open them up to Alts. This, in my opinion is a sound strategy. We are however, on their radar and I’m sure as BlackCoin grows, so will interest and the desire to host BlackCoin on theirs and a number of different platforms.

GeekGrind: What other services have you been pushing BC to? How has the reception been?

The reception is usually very good, however there is still some way for other short-lived alts out there to go before acceptance on some platforms occur. We have been talking to ATM manufacturers, POS and promotions partners and a number of others that we believe would extend our reach into consumer markets. We have found that innovative marketing, solid business fundamentals and good old fashioned hard work are what make success. With that in mind we constantly look for developments and ideas that can push the boundaries of the services BlackCoin can offer.

GeekGrind: When contacting these services, what is your approach?  Is it BC’s features, function, value, community, a mix, none of those?  Do you feel it generating interest?

We reach out looking to open a dialogue with companies we feel would benefit from the technology used in BlackCoin, its core strengths. We believe BlackCoin answers a number of central issues and has the capacity to be a medium by which commerce can be executed rapidly. A mixture of various ingredients make up BlackCoin ecosystem and success; the technology and the commitment made to keep it up to date, the Community who work tirelessly, devoting huge amounts of time and energy to new ideas and innovations and of course the investors who, by virtue of their large holdings and sponsorships maintain value and allow us to thrive and push forward.

I know that from talking with people in the financial industry that BlackCoin has generated a lot of interest. It’s not often an alternative digital currency has a management team step up and lead the coin to be a viable and workable digital currency in the everyday world, add to this the Community I’m so proud of and you have the obvious recipe for success.

Innovation, drive, energy, commitment and focus, all the things you need to make the good stuff happen. We’re being noticed for all the right reasons.

GeekGrind: I saw on bitcointalk that you plan to make BC’s presence known at Alt Coin conferences.  Are there any specific ones you would like to mention that BC will be attending?

There are a number of events coming up throughout the world. Clearly attending everything can get expensive and when you’re using donated funds it’s always an issue on how they’re spent. We are the same as every other organisation in that respect and resources are always tight.

I’m fortunate in that I live close to London so anything there for me, is just a short train journey and a ticket. And we do have a CoinSummit event coming in July that I shall be attending.

Other events however are further afield and if we don’t have representation locally, sending someone in is always worth thinking about.

I’m a firm believer in the saying of “skin in the game”. This was demonstrated by our appearance at Bitcoin2014 in Amsterdam. Add to this the other events BlackCoin has shown up at and suddenly we’re a hot topic. Now back that with a developing PR campaign and the best is yet to come!!

GeekGrind: Is there anything in the near future you are excited to talk about?

I think the one that sticks in my mind is BlackHalo. Sounds awesome doesn’t it! An exchange in your pocket. And of course POS 2.0. I know a lot of people are waiting for that one as well! Sadly there’s not much more I can say about either of these that isn’t already known, but I do share the same sense of excitement as everyone else about the stunning features that are being developed at an unbelievable rate!

Constant innovation and enhancement is the name of the game. We have an agile group of developers that respond to the needs of the market and can create stunning output within tight timeframes. These guys are to be respected for their sheer determination.

GeekGrind: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?

We as a group of people in the Foundation, we have worked very hard to connect with industry and finance people that have direct influence in the future of digital currency. We have spoken to policy makers and decision makers about the relevance of alternative digital currency in the same room as the Bitcoin discussion. Talk to new exchanges to get the best deals for our miners. These are things that create awareness in BlackCoin not just as a BC moniker on trading platforms like Cryptsy and Mintpal, they also go to fuel wider investment and interest to the point where BlackCoin is being seen as a store of value around the world.

And that is all great but without the vibrant and committed Community that makes up the backbone of the BlackCoin world right now we wouldn’t be half of group that we are. This diverse group of people from developers, financiers, miners, traders, first timers and so many more have come together under the BlackCoin banner and become part of a business that plans to take itself to the High Street and in the pockets of everyday people.

And a gracious acknowledgement of the investors and business people that choose to take part in BlackCoins growth and success. They help with advice, funding, stability, ideas and lots of belief that this coin is a different one from the usual.  BlackCoin has an  inherent quality built into it that makes it valuable. Usability; for retail, for investment and for business around the world, investors see this and share the vision that we really can make this particular digital currency a success.

And of course a final nod goes to rat4, who’s constant and tireless work on BlackCoin and other coins makes him one of our most valuable and cherished resources. We all recognise the work he does daily to advance BlackCoins technology and keep it as secure as possible.

There’s a number of advantages to being first as Bitcoin has shown, we’re showing that being first in Proof of Stake really means something and we’re here for a good while yet!

GeekGrind: Thank you for taking the time to do this.

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• Community Interview: Vizique - June 10, 2014