We are proud to release map.nimiq.com, a map that shows all shops accepting Nimiq and Bitcoin around the world! With this new map, we hope to increase crypto adoption and connect shop owners with crypto users. Even though there are other maps around that try to achieve the same task, we believe an easy-to-use map with up-to-date data was needed to complement our Cryptopayment.link onboarding efforts. We hope our global community can help us populate it with new shops and use it to find shops in your area that accept Bitcoin and Nimiq. 

Why develop a crypto map?

Cryptopayment.link is an amazing tool that initially targeted freelancers who bill for services online. These bills are very particular since they are usually paid days after the invoice is created. This is a huge problem when charging in a volatile currency. The goal of Cryptopayment.link is to allow freelancers to charge in cryptocurrency without worrying about price fluctuation, and it has continued to work exceptionally well.

However, we found that this tool’s ease-of-use was also very appealing to brick and mortar shops. The use case is different since the cashier and the consumer are at the same location, are often using mobiles and need to wait for a confirmation of a successful payment. Earlier last year we released a new version of Cryptopayment.link that focused on this usecase, you can find more about it in this blog post.

Armed with our new and improved Cryptopayment.link, we set sail and began educating new shops on how to accept BTC and NIM. Our journey started in Playa Santa Teresa, a beautiful beach in Costa Rica where the Nimiq team often holds hackathons. It quickly became apparent that increasing the adoption of BTC and NIM is a two-way process: we need to teach shops how to accept it, and also inform crypto users about the new shops that accept it. Without customers regularly paying with Bitcoin and NIM, shop owners may lose motivation, forget how to use the tool, and see no real benefit in accepting crypto. Therefore, we decided to create an MVP of a map focused on Santa Teresa to help promote the adoption of BTC and NIM.

Cryptopayment.link is not only used in Santa Teresa, but also in other locations around the world! With all the lessons learned from the Silicon Paradise map and unhappy about the overall user experience of existing crypto maps, we decided to build our own. The number one question a shop owner has after learning how to accept Bitcoin and Nimiq is how customers are going to find his shop, now we have an answer: map.nimiq.com

Using the map

Currently, we only support physical shops. However, we are considering adding online shops in the near future. To use the map, visit map.nimiq.com and scroll around to find different shops. The map is very intuitive! You can also use the search function to locate specific shops and locations.

When many shops are close by, the map will aggregate them in a single marker. If you want to filter shops by type or accepted currencies, you can do so by using the option in the upper right corner. 

As you can see, the map not only supports Nimiq and Bitcoin, but we have also added support for additional cryptocurrencies. This helps increase the number of shops listed on the map. Any shop that accepts a cryptocurrency is a potential user of Nimiq and Cryptopayment.link, so we want to provide them with the opportunity to appear on the map.

Once you apply the filter, the map will show the shops that match the conditions you selected.

Besides the map view, you can also use a “List View” that shows you the same results but in a detailed fashion.

We added a link to google maps to allow users to navigate to the shop of the choice. The map also retrieves data from Google Map’s API and shows information like the shop’s google rating. 

Reporting issues in the map

The red button next to the “Google Button” can be used to report any issue with the shop. It is not uncommon for shops to change location or stop accepting crypto. With this button users can let us know so we can act accordingly.

 After reporting the issue you can click on “Back to the Map” to continue searching for places.

Adding a new shop to the map

We would love for users around the world to send us information about shops that accept Bitcoin and/or Nimiq. To allow you to do that, we have added a button in the lower right corner called “Add Establishment”

By clicking on this button, you will be directed to a screen where you can input the necessary information to add a new shop to the map. As mentioned before, one of the necessary inputs is the Google business profile of the shop. That information is necessary for the map to retrieve information from Google and to link to Google Maps. Fortunately, you can use the search function to find the shop you want to add. The other necessary data are the cryptocurrencies accepted by the shop.

If a shop does not have a google business profile, then you will need to create one before adding it. We include a link to the informational page of google business for you to learn more.

Next steps

Now that we have a tool to connect shops with customers, we want to increase our onboarding efforts in Costa Rica. We also welcome community members who want to help us educate new shops, test the map, and share feedback. Make sure to reach out through the Nimiq Forum and let us know of any shops you would like to see added or any feedback you have.

We also have some interesting projects in progress that will use the map, but we will share more information in due time.

We are aware that the crypto space is going through a difficult time, and some people may be losing faith in the crypto movement and philosophy. However, we believe this is a good time to continue building and increasing adoption, one shop at a time.

Pura Vida
Team Nimiq