Olaniran
Web application developer, I write and share my understanding of how systems work.
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Making the adoption of Bitcoin accessible in developing countries has become a sector in which young people and leaders are innovating a great deal. This is most evident on the African continent with the emergence of circular communities, living with sometimes very few resources and who see Bitcoin as a means of restoring their sovereignty in the face of a financial system deemed to be failing.
With this in mind, a platform has set itself the goal of enabling the community in its sub-region to acquire bitcoins for as little as 100 XOF, equivalent to 15 eurocents, thus shattering the preconceptions many had about the high cost of Bitcoin.
In this tutorial, we'll take a look at Flash, a Beninese solution that lets you acquire bitcoins from as little as 100 CFA francs.
What is Flash?
Flash is an exchange platform developed by BlockSolut operating in several West African countries. Flash's main mission is to facilitate the acquisition, exchange and use of Bitcoin in everyday life.
Flash relies on the Lightning network, a Bitcoin overlay, to carry out bitcoin transactions securely and smoothly, showing its community the power of Bitcoin in everyday life.
There are two main services offered by the platform:
- FlashX: Exchange bitcoins with Mobile Money.
- FlashPayment: Use Bitcoin for everyday services.
With these two services, Flash aims to democratize the use of Bitcoin, to change the vision of those who see Bitcoin only as a safe haven, and to demonstrate that Bitcoin is a means of exchange compatible with African realities.
Bitcoin helps to reduce economic and geographical inequalities by providing open access to a global financial system, regardless of people's origin or location.
Let's set off on an adventure and discover every service offered by the platform.
Flash is a single-page web application (SPA) on which you'll find all the services we offer.
Flash X
Exchanging bitcoins on Flash is fairly intuitive, as the platform doesn't require a user account and aims for simplicity in its processes.
Flash operates its transactions using local Mobile Money. Depending on your location in West Africa, you can access this service with the following mobile operators:
- Benin: MTN Benin, Moov Benin, Celtiis.
- Togo: Moov Togo.
- Burkina-Faso: Orange.
Buying bitcoins on Flash involves three steps.
Click on the Buy option in the bitcoin exchange section, select your country and the mobile network from which you wish to make your purchase.
Enter your details and the amount of the transaction you wish to make.
Proceed to payment, then enter your Lightning address to validate your exchange. Within minutes, you'll automatically receive the bitcoin equivalent of your transaction.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Flash works with Lightning addresses, so make sure you have a wallet that supports Lightning addresses.
Making a transaction on Flash will take you an average of 5 to 10 minutes to receive your bitcoins on your Lightning wallet.
Selling bitcoins on Flash is just as intuitive as buying them.
In the bitcoin exchange section, click on the Sell button, select your country and the mobile network on which you wish to receive the equivalent CFA francs.
Fill in your details and pay the invoice to validate your request.
After a maximum of ten (10) minutes, you take possession of your mobile money.
FlashPayment
In addition to buying and selling bitcoins, Flash offers its community contextual use of the Bitcoin. Through FlashPayment, you can use your bitcoins to buy on available mobile networks:
- GSM units;
- Internet packages;
- Calling packages;
- A combination of call and Internet package.
In the daily service access section, select the Purchase unit option.
Then select the country, mobile network and type of digital service you wish to pay for.
Fill in your details and proceed to payment of the generated invoice.
In addition to digital services, Flash provides you with a directory of businesses that accept Bitcoin and enables you to pay for goods and services directly with Bitcoin.
So you can pay for hardware or go out to dinner with friends and family, for example, and then pay for everything with your Lightning wallet.
In the access to daily services section, select the Others option and discover the shops where you can use Bitcoin as a means of exchange.
If you found this tutorial helpful in getting to grips with Flash, please give us a green thumb - we'd really appreciate it. We'd now like to invite you to discover our tutorial on Bitrefill, a platform that gives you access to a multitude of digital services that accept Bitcoin as a means of payment.
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This tutorial has been written by Olaniran
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