By Sandra Quinn
A new blockchain innovation, Talketh, could be revolutionising access to blockchain technology, making it accessible to the masses and breaking down the traditional barriers to the innovative technology.
Developed by Horizon Globex who have operations in Ireland, the UK and Zug, Switzerland, Talketh was developed in Switzerland, in the global hub of all things crypto and is changing the way that payments can be accepted through the blockchain and bringing a more mainstream use to the table for the innovative technology.
Over the past six months, the words blockchain and cryptocurrency have dominated headlines with new innovations emerging weekly, as to how blockchain technology can be used to enhance daily business and personal life.
However, despite the significant advancements, the widespread adoption of blockchain as a payment solution has not yet commenced, but Talketh is changing all of that with their cryptocurrency scratch card.
This scratch card is aimed at the billions of people who are ‘unbanked’ and who only have 2G and 3G mobile network access.
According to figures from The World Bank, there are 1.7 billion people across the world who would be classed as ‘unbanked’, as they don’t have access to a bank account, yet two thirds of those people own and use a mobile phone.
Talketh is a smartphone communications app with its own built-in Ethereum cryptocurrency wallet and payment service. The Talketh cryptocurrency scratch card is distributed in emerging markets, paid for in local fiat currency and is then redeemed on the blockchain for internet call credit, without the need for a bank account or credit card.
CEO of Talketh, Brian Collins, explained how the app works to level the playing field and increase access to blockchain technology, particularly to those without bank accounts or traditional access to these kinds of innovations.
“Talketh uses a simple mechanism for on-boarding customers to the blockchain by giving them an easy to use Ethereum wallet attached to a free smartphone app and a commonplace scratch card call credit as a payment solution.
“Every person who avails of Talketh’s low cost calls is seamlessly paying using the blockchain without having to navigate the complexities of creating their own blockchain presence, paying blockchain tranasaction fees and so on,” he said.
Mr. Collins stressed that this brings mass market, frictionless blockchain digital payment services to people without the need for a bank account – revolutionising payment solutions for millions of people across the globe.
Even though there are billions of people without bank accounts, a huge proportion of these will still have mobile phones, so Talketh has bridged that gap by bringing blockchain payments to the mobile phone user through their own personal device.
It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be 9.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions – this equates to more than one phone for every person on Earth.
Mr. Collins said that Globex has more than eight years’ experience delivering mobile communications and is driven by a powerful management team.
“Globex is breaking down technology barriers and delivering a blockchain-enabled communications service that can be used from New York to Nairobi.
“Talketh users can call each other for free or they can choose to seamlessly pay a small amount on the blockchain to digitally call a local landline, a cell phone or even call loved ones overseas – at prices well below their local cellular operators.”