A hospital in Brazil becomes the first to accept cryptocurrency

Despite resistance, cryptocurrency continues to advance as a fiat alternative

A hospital in Rio Grande do Sul has entered the history of Brazil by becoming the first to accept Bitcoin (BTC) as a means of payment. The hospital in question is the Rolling Hospital Foundation (FHR), which released the news last week.

With this, Bitcoin has grown as a means of payment in Brazil, especially in the health area, which still faced barriers to adhering to the currency. At least 120 merchants in Rolante already accept BTC as a normal means of payment, making the city the current largest hub of adoption in Brazil.

With the “Bitcoin is Here” movement, the city joins others that have promoted the adoption of BTC in commerce, in addition to Jericoacoara and São Thomé das Letras, showing that from the South of Brazil to the Northeast, several initiatives are already gaining prominence.

In a video released in recent days, Rolante’s initiative disclosed that tourists who arrived in the city of only 21,000 inhabitants can find a whole variety of businesses accepting BTC, between hotels, tours, and now a hospital. It is even possible to jump on a hang glider paying in BTC, which makes the city of Serra Gaucha another option to live with the digital currency of the internet.

The municipality of Rolante is less than 60 miles from the capital city of Porto Alegre, which put Bitcoin Pizza Day on its municipal calendar last year. Apparently, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, several initiatives are beginning to emerge that boost BTC, promoting the currency as a legal means of payment in commerce.

The news follows closely after Brazil approved legislation to recognize BTC as currency. While it didn’t make it legal tender, the country’s government agreed that it can be used anywhere the Brazilian real is used.