Except in Thailand everyone actually pays by bank transfer QR code the same is coming to Philippines. It's hard to compete with free immediate payments in local currency. Is "defacto currency" defined as 0.0001% of all payments?
#Bitcoin is turning out to be the defacto currency of South East Asia.
Phillipines
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/13rnj7c/300_merchants_accepting_btc_in_philippines/
Thailand
See nostr:npub1864jglrrhv6alguwql9pqtmd5296nww5dpcewapmmcazk8vq4mks0tt2tq but it's either up in the jungles of Chiang Mai https://btcmap.org/community/chiang-mai , in an oasis in Bangkok at nostr:npub13pn45hvfxqy5vpyr03krapqvsjpj34n74u36qz9aynw4svg5ypqszxgctw or where the world famous full moon party is on Koh Phangan -> https://btcmap.org/map#13/9.75068/99.98726
Viet Nam
Thanks to Neutron Pay
Now need Singapore and Malaysia, then Laos/Cambodia/Myanmar will follow
Discussion
have you actually been to those places above?
Yes, it's mostly cash there. and if you really try on Boracay you can with 50% chance pay by lightning at the places that are supposed to accept lightning
This perfect example of over promise and under deliver. If you want to just live without wasting time searching the rare merchant accepting lightning you better get paper cash you will have much better time
I’m talking about those specific places. The ones I added 100% take lightning payments:
It’s not as easy to take it in Thailand as the law says you must self custody.
Which is good for bitcoin, because you actually own it.
Not many commoners know how to self custody. And it will never happen. Too many sheeple npcs in this world