Buy ICO tokens in a store: a world first for French token “BTU Protocol”

Buy ICO tokens in a store: a world first for French token “BTU Protocol”
Innovation
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Not long ago, in French Tech Friday, we covered the BTU ICO (Initial Coin Offering) by French Tech startup 808 Labs. It promised to disrupt the entire reservation industry. As it seems, they are also disrupting the presale ICO process by being the first to sell their tokens in a brick-and-mortar store (as well as online).
 

Introduction for the non-geek (you can skip this if you know what an ICO is)

 
An ICO is an online sale of “tokens”. These tokens are a sort of cryptocurrency as they rely on the blockchain. The blockchain is a digital forgery-proof ledger that monitors all uses of the tokens. One could view the tokens as either a micro part of the company (pretty much like a share) or a currency to pay for the service offered by the company. The ICO is the initial release of the token. The moment when the cost is usually at its lowest.
Tokens are not objects you can touch, they are stored in digital wallets.
The act of buying tokens during an ICO can be daunting for a newbie. Besides, it usually requires buying another cryptocurrency first (like Ethereum) to then buy the tokens.
 

BTU Protocol disrupts the whole process

 
For the very first time, anyone can go into a brick-and-mortar store (namely “La Maison du Bitcoin” in Paris) to buy ICO tokens during the presale. This opens new horizons for everyone.
 
For the buyer: Anyone, even a layman, can now take part in the ICO. In La Maison du Bitcoin, the teams will explain the whole process and provide the buyer with a virtual wallet (or a physical one like the Ledger Nano S). They will then make the transaction. Because BTU tokens have the blessings of the AMF (Financial Markets Authority), they were able to get rid of the usual delay between purchase and delivery. In you come with a credit card, out you come with tokens. There is no need for the middle step (buying Ethereum).
Anyone can now participate in the excitement of the launch.
 
For the Maison du Bitcoin: For the store, this lifts the veil on new perspectives. Rather than sell currencies that have already been traded, the store can sell pristine currencies to those with the pioneering spirit. In-store counseling is a massive advantage over online trades. This will help newbies make their first steps.
 
For 808 Labs: Reaching expert and neophyte crowds alike is a definite plus during the ICO. Besides, in a sea of dubious ICOs, such breakthrough in token sales confirms the sturdiness of the protocol. It also displays the confidence such entities like the AMF have regarding BTU. More confidence also means more clients.
 
This may be premises to a democratization of the ICOs. For a prospective buyer, the beginnings in the cryptocurrency world are often made of trial and error. Coaching within a brick-and-mortar store can help convince reluctant consumers. This is a first but certainly not the last we hear of in-store ICOs and BTU Protocol.