The Hong Kong co-working space that wants to be the ‘Apple store’ of cryptocurrencies
Genesis Block hopes to take advantage of rising awareness of cryptocurrencies by giving them a physical presence in a prime city location
Hong Kong has a new addition to its burgeoning co-working office scene: a space dedicated to the trading of digital currencies that comes complete with bitcoin ATMs and which its founder hopes will become a showcase for virtual money as Apple stores are for iPhones and iPads.
Genesis Block, located in the city’s Wan Chai district, also aims to change an impression among the public that cryptocurrencies are connected with shady activities, its director, Wincent Hung, said in an interview ahead of the official launch of the location in early November.
“The impression most people have about cryptocurrencies is pretty negative,” Hung said. “But if you actually understand the technology behind it, you will see it is actually a good thing.”
“Eventually, I hope to see traders and beginners together, socialising,” he said. “Like the Apple store, you can come in and ask and it doesn’t matter if you buy or not.”
Bitcoin is the best known digital currency, and has become increasingly popular, with investors and governments taking note. The currency hit a record US$5,850 on Friday, surging nearly 25 per cent within the last 30 days, according to data from Coindesk.
The total value of bitcoin in circulation worldwide is now close to US$90 billion, bigger than the gross domestic products of nearly three-quarters of the world, website TechSpot reported.
