Bitcoin Adoption in Indonesia May Hinge on Blackberry Wallet Solution

Getting more people connected to the Internet is of the utmost importance for technology companies these days. In the day and age of smartphone usage rising all over the world, and companies looking to gather and process big data, Internet connectivity plays an ever-increasing role of importance. Alternative financial solutions, such as Bitcoin and digital currencies, are gaining more popularity all over the world, and Indonesia could be a pivotal market to keep an eye on. 

Also read: Bitcoin’s Capital Controls Resistance a Concern says IMF as $1 Trillion Leaves China

Bitcoin Devs Should Focus More on Blackberry

It goes without saying that Bitcoin adoption will hinge on how convenient people can access this new breed of financial services around the world. Mobile users are increasing in nearly every country, giving developers an indication of how more Bitcoin solutions are needed for smartphones and other forms of mobile phones.

This is a key factor that should not be overlooked, as not everyone will own a smartphone in the near future. The term “mobile device” extends well beyond touch screen-enabled devices that fit in one’s pocket. Looking at the statistics in Indonesia, 85% of the population owns a mobile phone, yet only 43% of those devices can be categorized as smartphones.

Pushing Bitcoin adoption to new heights will heavily rely on Internet connectivity, and efforts are being made in Asian countries to bring worldwide access to more people. However, such efforts will take years, if not decades, before paying off. In the meantime, Bitcoin developers should keep in mind how targeting mobile users is key in boosting adoption all over the world, regardless of Internet connectivity.

Bitcoin wallets for mobile users are pretty common these days, and every major operating system is supported right now. Even though Windows Mobile still only has one wallet solution in the form of Copay, there is plenty of room for developers to come up with new solutions. The Bitcoin ecosystem welcomes anyone and everyone, even if they are not a developer.

However, there is one hurdle to overcome. Indonesian mobile users prefer accessing BlackBerry Messenger, which could indicate a lot of users are using BlackBerry devices. Indonesians spend most of their time on smartphones for chatting, with nearly 80% using the BBM chat application, according to the Jakarta Post. There is no Bitcoin wallet available for this operating system, which opens up opportunities for aspiring developers to try their hand at coming up with a solution.

Indonesia is a Developing Internet-Connected Region

Emerging markets are of great value to technology companies these days, as they provide an interesting market to target in the near future. Most of the Asian countries are still developing proper Internet infrastructure, which could lead to exponential growth in both the e-commerce and m-commerce sectors in the years to come.

Indonesia is one of those regions where both web and mobile are becoming increasingly important. Thanks to the country’s large population – over 250 million people – there are plenty of business opportunities lying ahead. But without proper infrastructure, this will be a difficult battle for both foreign and domestic companies.

Indonesia is following the same pattern similar to how Internet adoption is growing in China,. Over the past twelve months alone, the number of Internet users in the country has increased by 15% to 88.1 million. While this means just one in three Indonesians is connected to the world wide web, the amount of potential new users is considerable.

Mobile Internet access plays a big role in these statistics, as it is the preferred method of accessing the web in Indonesia and other Asian countries. Computers are big investments for residents, whereas smartphones are more accessible due to their lower pricing. Plus, with mobile data plans evolving to provide more coverage and faster data speeds, it simply makes more sense.

What makes this trend more significant is how most of the Indonesian mobile users will have two SIM cards on average as the number of subscriptions is far higher than the actual population. While most people use the mobile device to access social media platforms, there are plenty of other use cases ahead. Bitcoin adoption could certainly be among those possibilities in the not-so-distant future.

What are your thoughts on the future of Bitcoin in Indonesia and other emerging markets? How should developers boost the growth? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Tech In Asia

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Blackberry, rci.com

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