New Delhi: It is interesting to note how cryptocurrencies are slowly trying to enter the daily lives of people. A rooftop bar and restaurant named Ardor 2.1 located in Delhi’s Connaught Place launched its digital thali with crypto-inspired names of various cuisines last week. In addition, customers can choose to pay in bitcoin.
“Crypto is becoming a mainstream topic. So we also wanted to explore it in our own way and understand how it works in terms of usage. We are offering 20 percent discount on payments via crypto. While users can also pay through cash, card or Paytm without any discount, there are Bitcoin Tikka, Solana Chole Bhature, Polygon Pita Bread Falafel, Ethereum Butter Chicken, and more,” informed Suveet Kalra, Owner, Ardor 2.1.
The cost of the thali is Rs 1,999 (excluding taxes). “It is a completely digital process for placing orders. The menu is a lit board with a video playing, a QR code for scanning and ordering food items. So human interaction is zero. It is a fun experiment,” Kalra said. However, they have yet to find their first customer who opts for crypto, even though more than 100 digital plates have been sold.
However, Kalra is also aware of the current gray area surrounding crypto regulations in India. “Since we cannot keep crypto on our balance sheet, whatever payment comes in is translated into Indian currency. We don’t want to get into any regulatory confusion. We are not buying and selling crypto and making profits from them. We don’t know where it leads. Maybe in the coming days or weeks we will laugh at it and forget it if we don’t respond enough.”
Last month, cryptocurrency exchange Unocoin offered bitcoin users to top up their FASTag accounts using bitcoin, which they had deposited or purchased in the Unocoin wallet in the past. However, no direct purchases are made using bitcoin.
“It will be assumed that customers sold bitcoin on our platform and then through our partner’s platform, they recharged the FASTag. Recharge is actually being done with money only. Let’s say, I have 0.1 bitcoin in my bitcoin wallet. I will put Rs 500 to recharge the FASTag in the app or website and then Rs 500 of bitcoin will be deducted from my wallet and on the other hand, my FASTag will be recharged with Rs 500,” said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO & Co-Founder, Unocoin. The company offered users to buy consumer goods such as pizza, ice cream, etc. using bitcoin in August.
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