Bali’s Bid to Become a Bitcoin-Friendly Vacation Destination

Mark Johanson

August 27th, 2014 at 2:00 PM EDT

Photo Credit: Vendor renting water sports equipment along Bali's Kuta Beach. Flickr / VasenkaPhotography

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Bit by bit, Bitcoin is becoming more of a possibility for wary travelers. But the question remains: Will travelers use it?

Bali is a destination renowned for its stunning surf beaches, flowery Hindu rituals and Eat, Pray, Love-inspired getaways, but if local numismatists have their way, the Indonesian island could soon be known for something else: Bitcoin. Indonesia first made headlines in the bitcoin blogosphere when an anonymous buyer from Texas purchased a Bali villa on luxury Bitcoin marketplace BitPremier for around 800 bitcoins (approximately $500,000), the largest Bitcoin transaction to date. Then in May, a group of Bitcoin enthusiasts announced an ambitious plan to turn Bali into a "Bitcoin island" (or an island where bitcoin is the preferred currency) by the year's end. Spearheaded by the co-founders of Bitcoin Indonesia, the nation's largest bitcoin exchange, the group came one step closer to its goal with the launch this month of a Bali-based booking ag

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Bali’s Bid to Become a Bitcoin-Friendly Vacation Destination

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