It's not quite the non-fiat singularity just yet: for that to happen, one should be able to buy gold with bitcoin, and bitcoin with gold... but thanks to Apmex, the world's largest online retailer of precious metals, one can now cross out one half of the missing links, because as of yesterday Apmex is now accepting bitcoin.
From the company's statement:
For more than 15 years, APMEX has been an industry leader and along the way has adapted to the growing needs of our customer base. As bitcoin becomes more popular and widely accepted as payment, we are thrilled to welcome the use of this cryptocurrency for buying Gold, Silver and other Precious Metals by integrating BitPay into our website.
With BitPay integration, APMEX customers can now pay using bitcoin and complete their order in seconds. Because bitcoin works like cash for the Internet, customers enjoy a quick process, as the only delay is in the “mining” required of all bitcoin purchases. Additionally, all eligible bitcoin orders will be processed and shipped within one business day of your payment’s clearing and processing with the QuickShip® guarantee (domestic orders only).
Buyers can make purchases with bitcoin at any time, from nearly anywhere, just as with most credit cards. International orders become significantly easier as cryptocurrency like bitcoin is accepted worldwide without conversion. Also, many customers prefer Bitcoin payment because of the anonymity offered by a blockchain purchase.
And best of all, there's an added extra: a 4% discount on your new, shiny yellow metal:
For a limited time, all bitcoin orders are eligible for a 4.0% cash discount, similar to orders paid with check or bank wire. Take advantage of this new payment type and the limited-time introductory pricing offer. Start shopping today!
Oh, and with a whole lot of bitcoin millionaires and billionaires suddenly popping up, guess what countless other struggling online retailers, desperate for the sudden riches of these newly minted, pardon the pun, bitcoinaires will do? Exactly the same, as bitcoin acceptance suddenly becomes the next big thing...