Learn how Guy Brandon uses his wallet to send/receive payments -- instantly, from ANYWHERE!
I am excited to announce Uphold Member Stories - a series of interviews with Uphold Members across the globe.
What better way to kick-off the series than with Uphold Member and full-time cryptocurrency marketing expert, Guy Brandon. Brandon has worked in cryptocurrency for years and uses Uphold daily to protect his funds--specifically when he receives crypto payments and needs to guarantee the market rate at the time of transfer.
Cryptocurrency has exploded as a global phenomenon over the past few years. While mass adoption is still a work-in-progress for consumers, many businesses and crypto enthusiasts are optimistic about the future especially as technology develops and more companies get on board.
We discussed with Brandon more about his work with cryptocurrencies, what he likes most about Uphold, and what he believes is the key to success in the crypto market.
How Did You Get Started Working With Cryptocurrency?
“Like most people, I learned about Bitcoin years ago, but then didn’t get involved until 2014. That’s when I bought small amounts of different cryptocurrencies here and there and set up different digital wallets. I really enjoyed the technology; it was groundbreaking! That same year, I became involved in the NXT community, which provided me with more detailed insight into blockchain applications. (NXT is an open source blockchain platform with an active community of developers, investors, and crypto experts). From there, I started working with various businesses and blockchain initiatives as a writer and researcher.
Through the NXT community, I was introduced to Sasha Ivanov, the founder of Waves, another open source platform. He asked if I’d be interested in working with them, so Waves is now one of the communities I am now most actively involved with. My work there includes everything from writing informed blog posts to creating white papers for ICO crowd sales.”
When Did You Start Using Uphold and How Does Uphold Fit Into Your Work?
“Uphold is the best service I’ve used of its kind in crypto. One of the businesses I work with on Waves introduced me to Uphold as part of their accounting research. I instantly fell in love with it. I’m based in the UK, and the exchange situation here is not good. Banks don’t like cryptocurrency —and the traditional banks that do are very slow with transactions.
That’s a big challenge for me because I work with people all over the world; and when you have a volatile market like crypto, it’s important for money to move fast. I need a way to exchange from any currency into the pound sterling (GBP) as fast as possible without getting hit by high exchange rates, if the market is moving up and down, before payments from clients land in my account.
That’s why Uphold has worked so well for what I do — I can send money straight to my GBP card. Uphold allows you to move money across real world and virtual currency without friction, and it’s much faster and cheaper than all the competition in the UK. It makes everything so much easier. So, if clients send me payments in bitcoin, it’s automatically converted to GBP and goes straight to my GBP card without any delays or loss.
In addition, it’s useful to also own other currencies and to have the flexibility to pay and work with different businesses. Litecoin, for example, is a great transactional currency for smaller amounts, whereas bitcoin is a better store of value. Uphold supports both — and many more — so it’s a great transactional and stable holding platform.”
What Would You Say Is Key For The Crypto Space To Be Successful In The Future?
“For cryptocurrency’s future, it’s critical to build trust and reputation in order to normalize cryptocurrency for the real world. A lot of people don’t understand the market and move out of it too quickly, but true cryptocurrency and blockchain believers are going to survive beyond market fluctuations. These guys are in it for more than the overnight returns. They love the tech and want to build a business that makes a difference. They want something that outlasts month-to-month and week-to-week volatility.
For me, this is where services like Uphold come in. I don’t particularly worry about market spikes or dips, but what I care about is that I can trust the platform. The fact that it’s fully licensed and regulated gives me the confidence I need to know that this isn’t going to collapse overnight and put my funds in jeopardy. A lot of people invest in this world and take a risk by leaving funds in exchanges. This is their livelihood. They need ways to move money around like anyone else needs a bank account.
What I care about, and a lot of people care about, is that if someone sends me $1,000, that money is still worth $1,000 when it arrives in my account. Uphold is leading the way in making this possible globally. It’s revolutionary.”
Guy Brandon is just one example of how our members across 184 countries use Uphold. With over 30+ currencies, and we will be bringing you their stories! There are so many ways that Uphold can expand your ability to easily and securely manage your finances online.
If you have an Uphold story, I would love to from you, contact me via email at michelle@uphold.com or send a Tweet [https://twitter.com/Mq2Oco] (MQ2Oco) or @UpholdInc with the #UpholdMemberStories!