Beginning this week, Craigslist has begun showing a checkbox for “cryptocurrency ok” as an option on items for sale. The checkbox does not show for housing or services, but all subcategories on items for sale include this new checkbox.
The checkbox does not specify which cryptocurrency, leaving it up to the seller and buyer.
What does this look like in practice for handing off goods?
From the seller’s perspective, they can have a watch-only wallet & see the TX confirm. From the buyer’s perspective, if they’re paying with a private key-holding mobile wallet, they have to worry about the stranger seller robbing them of their mobile while it’s unlocked
If the seller agrees to lock the BTC price, the buyer can just come with a signed TX from their non-mobile wallet & use a pushtx service in front of the seller, no mobile wallet required.
A seller with good reputation/ratings they can link to their phone (number) can also request that the payment be made in advance of the buyer’s arrival, so that it has time to confirm.
A quick search of items for sale in San Francisco shows just under one thousand possible cryptocurrency ok’d goods for sale.
Cars, tools, electronics, furniture, and tickets are the top categories for sale.