Freelancehunt.com, Ukrainian online platform that serves as a mediator between a client and a freelancer, enables their customers to pay for services in bitcoin.
Until recently payments in bitcoin were not accepted by the exchange. However, due to increased customer demand, Freelancehunt.com decided to introduce bitcoin as a payment option. At the moment, though, because the budget of the project is calculated in local currency, to make payment bitcoins are firstly converted into Ukrainian national currency hryvnia. Exchange representatives do not rule out the possibility to introduce mutual settlements in bitcoin: once it is done, freelancers would have choice whether receive their salary in bitcoin or in hryvnias. The option seems to arrive quite in time since Ukraine, admittedly, is one of the most bitcoin-friendly states in Eastern Europe with increasingly growing bitcoin-community.
In 2015 Ukrainian bitcoin activists carried out a number of initiatives, such as the launch of Bitcoin Embassy Ukraine, an information centre and a meeting point of Ukrainian start-ups, businesses and ordinary bitcoiners. Besides, bitcoin enthusiasts run the flash mob #takemybitcoin in order to encourage restaurants and cafes to accept payments in the cryptocurrency.
Currently a range of services are accessible for bitcoin payments. Since October 2015 the website http://2show.mobi/ that allows book online tickets to theatres, cinemas, planetariums and other entertainments started accepting bitcoins. Besides, Ukrainians can also use bitcoins to buy flowers and grocery goods and to repair mobile phones.
Coinfox reported earlier that the National Bank of Ukraine considers the possibility of integration of bitcoin into the country's financial system.
Anna Lavinskaya