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All of us have long been accustomed to paying for goods and services with small pieces of paper, which we call money. Despite the fact that today there are a huge number of alternative currencies in the world, Bitcoin has become the largest of them. What is this electronic currency?

Bitcoin is nothing more than an international payment system that depends only "on itself". It is not subject to any state, bank, or company. However, for most people, even such a currency as the Uruguayan peso or, say, the Japanese yen seems to be something exotic. Taking that into account, what emotions will be caused by the payment methods, which will be discussed below?

Powder Tide

This is perhaps the most unusual payment method, which is called "liquid gold". American criminals often use this detergent to buy and sell drugs.

There are enough reasons for this: the brand is very popular, the product is very easy to steal from everywhere. Thus, in the American criminal world, this well-known powder serves as an excellent substitute for money for those who want to buy another dose.

Bitcoin

At the beginning of our article, we talked about Bitcoin. The currency appeared back in 2008 and since then has gained massive popularity - especially among youngsters. The world’s largest cryptocurrency is actively used for payments. Even PayPal decided to include it in the platform.

The price of Bitcoin has grown massively and shows no signs of slowing down. For a lot of people, Bitcoin has become a form of investment and a method of trading. Currently, any crypto or Forex trading broker would offer its customers the possibility to start trading with Bitcoin. So, as it’s obvious, it has actively gained a foothold in the financial industry.

Canadian Tire

For more than 50 years in Canada, there has been another form of currency besides the dollar. It is printed by Canadian Tire. It is a retail chain that sells a wide variety of products from kitchen supplies to car accessories.

Sandy McTire was released in 1958. Denomination - from five cents to two dollars. Initially, these were coupons that provided a discount on purchases of goods on the Canadian Tire network. But coupons quickly gained popularity and were accepted off-chain in many other places as well.

Today, almost all over the country, in any bar or cafe, you can pay with them. They are sold and bought, collectors are in a hurry not to miss rare items, and counterfeiters regularly forge them.

Ven - the global green currency

Ven is the world's first digital currency that fluctuates freely. Active users of the Hub Culture network pay with it for goods and services.

This is the only payment method accepted at Hub Culture Pavilions located in many cities around the world. It is worth noting, without going into details and economic nuances, that the rate of this currency is pegged to the average basket of currencies, as well as to coal prices. Therefore, it is much more stable than most currencies in the world.

WIR

Wir Francs are the oldest and very successful alternative currency. Its history goes back to 1934, during the Great Depression. In response to this most difficult period for the economy, 16 clients - entrepreneurs who used the services of WIR Bank, created their own payment system in order to make settlements with each other.

The German bank-issued loans to its clients in its own currency secured by real estate, so that they could pay off in this way with other WIR clients. Today, WIR francs are recognized by about 60,000 German companies. The currency is extremely popular.

Chiemgauer

This type of currency was invented by a German professor of economics. So he intended to explain the subject he taught to his students. As a result, the Chiemgauer currency appeared in 2003.It is clear that saving Chiemgauers is not profitable, so people tend to get rid of them faster by exchanging them for goods or services. 

But, it is very popular in the south of Germany and has been recognized by more than 600 companies. As a result, it is possible to pay with Chiemgauer in 300 stores. It’s also worth noting that more than 5 million euros had already been exchanged for them.

L$ - the real currency of the virtual world

L$ is an abbreviated version of "Linden Dollars". This currency is the main method of payment in the famous virtual game "Second Life". In this community, people create characters, interact with other virtual people and run their business with these virtual dollars.

L$ can be converted to real money. The exchange rate fluctuates, but 1 real dollar is approximately 250 virtual. Thus, many people are attracted by the fact that they can make money just by playing the game.

Fresh fruit

In the UK, in prisons for teenagers, the alternative currency is regular fruit. Tributes and offerings to senior criminals are made precisely in the form of a variety of fruits, and in places not so distant they are scarce.

To rid prisons of clandestine markets, a well-known non-governmental organization, Howard League for Penal Reform, has put forward a proposal to flood them with "alternative currency." In other words, fill the young prisoners' diet with plenty of fruit.