It was a snowy morning on Stephen Avenue in Calgary – busier than usual because of the holidays.
Brent Garrow spends a lot of time there, after being homeless for the past six months.
“The only places I can stay are the Mustard Seed, Alpha House and the (Calgary Drop-In Centre). »
He says the people who pass by are often generous: they give him coffee, food and sometimes money.
But this time it was different.
“A fairly well-dressed man, in a suit and tie, just came up and handed me the bill and said, ‘Happy Holidays,’ and turned his head and walked away.”
Garrow almost threw the note away, but after taking a few steps, he returned to get it and began to investigate.
“I couldn’t find any information on the invoices.”
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The paper claimed to have the value of one Bitcoin, which is currently trading at over $130,000 Canadian.
It’s an amount that would change the life of anyone who owns it – if it turns out to be real.
With a mix of optimism and skepticism, he contacted Global News.
“I don’t know anything about the Bitcoin industry per se, but I hope so,” he laughed.
Unfortunately, his luck was not there.
The ticket was only worth the paper it was printed on.
Cryptocurrency is managed online – through “wallets” which allow users to access the larger blockchain which contains Bitcoin, among many other currencies.
Sometimes users print this information on paper, but this note is not one of them.
“What I was looking for on this bill was either a QR code, the data in the QR code, or 24 random words, which explains how crypto wallets keep your cryptocurrency safe,” says Vancouver CEO Dennis Kasukawa Bitcoin.
General acceptance and awareness of cryptocurrency has exploded since Kasukawa started his business in 2018.
But there’s still some stigma about the phenomenon — and the sudden wealth some think it could bring.
“(Bitcoin) has value at this point because people give it value. There are use cases, but you can’t go to the grocery store and shop with Bitcoin. Rather, it is a store of value, like gold. » said Kasukawa.
As with any other investment, Kasukawa says people should spend their money wisely and not treat it as a “get-rich-quick scheme.”
Garrow says less than $130,000 could change his entire life.
“You know, maybe $500 for the first month (of rent), $500 for a security deposit and $500 for food needed for that month.
“That would give me a month of being homeless and make me happy.”
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