Globalization is a word that has quickly become a word synonymous with Bitcoin; the borderless payment system is not discriminatory dependent on geography. While that has always been the case, its move into the mainstream has seen it maintain its global reach, but it's adoption across the world has been helped by different companies.
RSK, for example, is one company that has been championing Bitcoin's adoption - known for its move to add smart contract capabilities to the Bitcoin blockchain in an attempt to up its usability. They also introduced merged mining as a way to help with the adoption of Bitcoin.
Merged mining is the cornerstone of RSK's model, but it is also a reason why the company can help with the expansion and growth of the major cryptocurrency. Simply put, Bitcoin miners can accrue fees from transactions taking place on the RSK sidechain, without expending additional effort or relying on more resources.
So, even though Bitcoin has made some impressive strides in its brief history, its adoption was always rather niche. This is not that surprising with Bitcoin having no central authority driving its use cases. It is rather left to companies like RSK, and even the Lightning Network, to make Bitcoin more usable and worthwhile for today's growing market.
RSK is hoping it can further take this adoption and usability drive for Bitcoin global. They have made several critical global partnerships, and through that, RSK being more adopted should help drive Bitcoin adoption.
Making waves across the planet
Some of the recent moves that RSK has made have seen them acquired Latin American social network site Taringa, for an undisclosed amount. Taringa is a 30 million strong network with over 1,000 active online communities, and now it is expected to be introduced with a Bitcoin and RSK wallet.
However, they are also well aware that the adoption of the technology not only comes from the consumer, but from developers who want to make the underlying product - in this case Bitcoin - more applicable, usable, and coveted by everyday people.
In aiming to achieve that, RSK CEO Diego Gutiérrez Zaldivar, has explained how he is looking at Silicon Valley for top developers, as a way to ensure the gap is bridged for Bitcoin and mass adoption.
"Of course, San Francisco and Silicon Valley is one of the top communities, if not the top community, for developers and startups in the world, and we think the future of blockchain and mass adoption is related to making these technologies easy to use for developers," said Gutiérrez-Zaldívar. "And not necessarily just blockchain developers."
"Developers are the ones bridging the gap between technology and mass adoption - they are building useful applications to regular people."
More so, RSK is also looking to help the blockchain and cryptocurrency investors out there with a similar desire for Bitcoin adoption.
RSK opened an innovation studio in San Francisco, focused on developing open, secure, and easy-to-use blockchain technology services. It partnered with a Latin America based accelerator program called NXTP, and also partnered with Japan's biggest blockchain accelerator Binary Star.
Other recent announcements that seem to be putting them on this path to going more global is the RSK Ecosystem fund, whose goal is to support financially, technically and business-wise new startups that build on top of Bitcoin and the RSK ecosystem. It has already invested in three blockchain startups; Vega, Multis, and Pocket Network.
Finally, and perhaps most poignant to adoption, is a partnership with the Singaporean government-backed Tribe Accelerator. The goal here is to have government agencies, corporates, and local startups build on RSK.
A decentralized spirit
RSK's vision is seemingly that further integration of adoptable, and useable Bitcoin product will help stimulate the drive for a bigger adoption of the cryptocurrency. However, part of this is that the company wants to do it with Bitcoin's major pillar in sight - decentralization.
The aim is for RSK to make the waves that need to happen to stimulate adoption, but once that is going, turn it towards decentralization and let things run themselves. This is even evident in the Taringa acquisition.
"The blockchain firm also has plans to move Taringa's infrastructure to RIF-based decentralized protocols. Its naming service protocol, RIF Directory, which functions as a secure, DNS-like system, would house Taringa user registration and reputational profile protocols. Meanwhile, RIF Data will handle secure storage and distribution of content," it was reported.
More opportunity
Bitcoin is a very foundational tool in cryptocurrency and blockchain, but it is one that has huge potential and already quite an avid following. If RSK can be successful in driving its adoption around the world with additional features, it could be the spark that kicks off rapid growth in different areas of the world.
