18 Jan 2014 / Motherboard – Much has been made of Bitcoin’s emergence into the mainstream, particularly with its recent acceptance by the online retailer Overstock. But let’s not forget that one of the original reasons the cryptocurrency grew popular was that it allowed for transactional discretion—the supposedly untraceable Bitcoin was ideal for dodgy dark net deals. Now, the same principle may make Bitcoin popular for brick and mortar dens of iniquity, too.
Take the “sensual massage” industry, for instance. Although adoption of the technology in the sector remains in its embryonic stages, with only a few firms currently accepting code, it’s fairly clear why one of the world’s oldest trades is warming to its youngest currency.
Ellie Young, owns Sensuous London, a Mayfair-based company that provides a “sensual, tantric massage experience” to customers from nearby hotels and residences—previously, they only accepted cash. I spoke to Young about why her massage parlour has become among the first of its kind to accept payment in cryptocurrency.
“From our perspective, there’s more trust (using bitcoin) and the ladies who work with us don’t have to carry cash—so it’s much safer for them,” she said. “From the client’s point of view, bitcoin payments are far more discreet and secure.”
As media momentum behind Bitcoin swelled at the end of 2013, she struck upon the idea of using it to finalize payment before an appointment, and the company has been offering clients the anonymous and traceless way to pay for their late-night hankerings ever since.
It’s a better arrangement for both parties. The clients no longer need to dream up Kafkaesque excuses for what embarrassing strings of xxx’s are doing on their credit card bill, while masseuses are free to set about doing what they do best without fear of being ripped off….. Read more
