We all wish things were different, at least financially speaking, and this is a fair explanation as to why people get into cryptocurrencies. We are trying to connect networks that, for now, are like independant silos, unable to communicate with each other.
But today, I want to talk about something else. I want to explore what would be (read: is) possible by allowing exchange ridiculous amounts of value, say $0.001, and send it to anyone, anywhere, in any currency. In most cases, the desirable outcome is a stream of payments, that could be turned on and off as we use a service, or consume a good.
When it comes to media, entertainment, and content widely speaking, one could reward such creators by sending payments for every second spent on the platform/website/stream. This could be fairly desirable for video game streamers, but also for independant movie makers and personal websites. While most content creators and entertainers would rather be part of a platform (trading parts of their rewards for visibility), it seems to me bringing up alternatives for people who want to make it on their own can only be a good thing. It might even force the Netflixes of Media to reduce their pricing.
Another use case will be transportations. Whether you prefer calling a cab, an Uber or using self-service vehicles, paying by the minute or even by the second could be a thing. In my opinion, this will be hard to develop as one would expect the transporters to drive slower than necessary in order to earn more. While this could be balanced by user reviews or other sources of data, I guess an alternative to the existing models can only be good for the users.
Now here is an interesting one : Data. We all pay a monthly rate for 10, 20, 50 Go of Mobile Data and say 3 hours of phone calls but we don't reach these limits anymore. The major fixed costs associated with the infrastructure providing the services having been covered, it isn't far fetched to imagine new offers allowing users to pay by the minute or by the Go of Data. It would especially be useful in emerging countries where people own phones that aren't smartphones and it sure would be profitable for my not-so-digital-savvy grandma.
Note: this also applies to Wi-Fi or Electricity.
(Solar pannels could pay you in real time)
We could also use micropayments to consume goods, for instance Beer. While some bars already offer cards that you can recharge in order to serve yourself, one could think of a solution that would work in any bar across many countries. Thinking about the rise of cashier-less stores, this could be a thing for all goods where a specific volume could be offered with a sense of practicality: milk, water, rice, cereals...
A last use-case I can think of today is about physical access. I guess the advantage of paying a flat rate for a gym membership is that you've got one more reason to exercise but how many still think it's too expensive? Well, paying access by the minute could be quite interesting for those who would like to swim one hour every two weeks and those with commitments issues (takes one to know one).
All of this might be a bit futuristic but I guess this is where we are headed. Every action will be transactional, if it isn't already the case.
Thanks for reading, I might come back and edit the post further. Hope you enjoyed. Feedback and questions appreciated.