Bitcoin wallet provider makes bill payments play
Hot on the heels of the news that PayPal has dipped its toe in the Bitcoin market comes a marketing push by igot, which provides a "wallet service" for Bitcoin storage in several countries, including Australia.Among the services being spruiked by igot - ultimately owned by a Dutch parent company - is one that will allow users in Australia to make direct bill payments, including credit card, phone and internet bills, utilities bills, council rates and rent, using Bitcoin and which runs via a user's everyday personal banking account. There is still some way to go, though, for this service to rival - let alone improve on - some fairly average mainstream banking performances. For instance, igot's fine print includes this gem: "If your transfer is to any country other than Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and India, a US$20 wire fee is charged. This fee is deducted from the amount that you wish to withdraw. … It takes one to five business days for transfer to show up in your bank account. Larger amounts may take longer." The terms and condition on the website are extensive, and include this warning: "… We DO NOT provide any investment advice in connection with the igot site contemplated by this user agreement. …We may provide information on the price, range, volatility of Bitcoins and events that have affected the price of Bitcoins but this is not considered investment advice and should not be construed as such."Presumably, this means the company does not consider it needs to hold an Australian Financial Services licence.