December 20, 2022 - On Wednesday, 21 December, the Croatian Post (HP) will issue the fourth crypto stamp in the form of a postal block with the motif of Nikola Tesla and his tower for the World Wireless System.

As Poslovni writes, the authors of the new crypto stamp are Zagreb designers Ivana Vučić and Tomislav-Jurica Kaćunić, and the stamp with a nominal value of HRK 50.00 was printed in 30,000 copies.
The promotion of the fourth issue of the crypto stamp will be accompanied by an exhibition of Tesla's personal belongings at the post office.

Tesla's glasses, bag, hat, cane, and gloves will be available for viewing from the end of December 2022 until the beginning of February 2023 at the post office in Jurišićeva Street, the press release states.

Nikola Tesla's personal items that will be exhibited in the Zagreb post office are owned by the Croatian Post and form a permanent exhibition at the post office in Smiljan, Nikola Tesla's birthplace, adds HP.
HP finalised the new edition of the crypto-brand in cooperation with the companies BitX and MarrowLabs, as well as with the "Nikola Tesla" Technical Museum.

"By buying a crypto stamp, you get a physical postage stamp that you can use to send parcels and a digital stamp in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT)," they add.

The digital edition of the crypto stamp will be available in five different categories, each with a motif of one of Tesla's inventions.

The digital edition with the motif of Tesla's experiment with an egg in a rotating magnetic field (Egg of Columbus) will have the smallest number of copies available (2,000), while the digital edition with the motif of Tesla's turbine will have the most copies.

Other digital editions will have the motifs of a Tesla coil, a wireless signal transmission system, and a remote-controlled ship.
The new crypto stamp can be purchased in post offices, on the epostshop.hr website and in the online Crypto Center, where it will be possible to pay with cryptocurrencies.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August the 31st, 2022 - Croatia osiguranje's (insurance) LAQO has introduced cryptocurrency payments on its webshop, making it the first insurance company in all of the Republic of Croatia to enable this type of payment.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the owners of cryptocurrencies can now buy Compulsory and Kasko car insurance, completely digitally, in a simple, quick and smart way on the LAQO website. This innovation was introduced in cooperation with the well-known Croatian fintech company Electrocoin, and payment with cryptocurrencies takes place through their electronic payment service PayCek, which guarantees security to customers.

As many as thirteen different cryptocurrencies can be used on the LAQO webshop - bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), ether (ETH), ripple (XRP), EOS, stellar lumen (XLM), DAI, tether (USDT), USDC, binance USD (busd), saltwater (SOL), dogecoin (DOGE) and litecoin (LTC).

"LAQO is the first insurance company in the Republic of Croatia to introduce payment with cryptocurrencies, which has brought us even closer to our more digital users, offering them a completely new shopping experience. As a digital insurance brand, we continuously introduce innovations which take care of the community in which we operate and encourage a wave of innovation throughout the market, and we're preparing even more news soon," said Ana Zovko, Director of the Digital Development Sector of Croatia osiguranje.

The cryptocurrency payment option can be selected at the end of the insurance purchase, where a list of available cryptocurrencies is provided. When choosing the option of paying with cryptocurrencies and accepting the conditions, the amount in kuna equivalent is displayed where you need to enter your email and select the desired cryptocurrency. After choosing a cryptocurrency, the customer can then scan the QR code with their crypto wallet, and after making the payment, they will receive a confirmation email.

LAQO osiguranje is a digital brand of Croatia osiguranje, which operates as part of the Adris Group, and in its current offer offers car insurance which can contracted in just a few clicks on their website. The introduction of cryptocurrency payments is just one in a series of LAQO innovations, another one being LaqoPrevent, a digital platform that uses telematics technology to promote responsible behaviour when on the road.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

ZAGREB, 17 March 2022 - The European Union's financial regulators on Thursday warned consumers that "many crypto-assets are highly risky and speculative", the Croatian National Bank (HNB) said.

This warning comes in the context of growing consumer activity and interest in crypto-assets and the aggressive promotion of those assets and related products, especially through social media.

The warning was issued by the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) that consist of several regulators whose including the EBA, ESMA and EIOPA.

Consumers should be aware of "the lack of recourse or protection available to them, as crypto-assets and related products and services typically fall outside existing protection under current EU financial services rules."

"In relation to the current situation in Ukraine, and with a view to ensuring the proper implementation of the sanctions in place, the ESAs welcome the clarification by the Council of the European Union of the scope of the restrictive measures against Russian and Belarusian entities and individuals as regards crypto-assets," the ESAs said in a press release.

For more, check out our business and lifestyle sections.

February 15th, 2022 - The football club from Rijeka launched a crypto token and raised close to half a million kuna in six days of presale

Orijent recently launched a fan token ($ORI) and offered it for purchase in a week-long presale, reports Novi list.

The club that competes in the Second HNL joins Dinamo and HNS as the pioneers of cryptocurrency in Croatian football.

A fan token is a form of cryptocurrency used to reward fans by giving them benefits like voting on club decisions, interacting with the club and players, and a chance to win exclusive rewards.

The club published the following statement on their site:

‘We are proud to inform you that the presale of the $ORI Token has been successfully completed seven days after its announcement!

Namely, on the sixth day of the presale, the SoftCap of 100 BNB was reached - a predefined amount that guarantees the safe entry of the Orijent token on the cryptocurrency market.

Not only that, but here’s the total sold in 7 days of the presale:

172.82 BNB (which equals HRK 487.382,56 at the time of writing)
648.075 $ORI Tokens found their owners

We’re the only football club in Croatia alongside the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) and Dinamo to have successfully launched their token in the world of cryptocurrency.

The successful completion of this project is yet another proof that the ‘red and black’ club from Krimeja has a community of loyal fans and supporters, true sponsors and partners, who got [the club] to the top - in terms of football, organisation, infrastructure, and now in the segment of digitalization as well.

It takes 48 hours from the end of the presale for the cryptocurrency to become available on the stock exchange, i.e. for its trading to begin.

What we already know is that Orijent 1919 will offer its fans numerous interactions, prize contests, voting options, opportunities to win tokens, and so many other future things which we already look forward to.

As we’ve promised, together we enter the world of cryptocurrency, and together we create the future of Orijent.

We’re also looking forward to the Orijent mobile app which will fully come to life in the coming days, and keep the club close to loyal fans and all other users.

By downloading the application, the user enters a carefully designed ‘red and white’ world in which, apart from season passes and other tickets, they’ll be able to buy all products from the fan shop, enjoy special benefits such as discounts from our partner companies, track changes in the second league in real time, and much more.

The FAN Token will be available for purchase in the app from April 1st, 2022.

Users will be able to use the purchased tokens within the app, spend them on various things, but also win some ORI through individual prize contests.

We again wish to say a huge thank you to everyone who recognised this project of Orijent and together with us made another big step forward’, reads the announcement.

More information about the ORI fan token can be found here: Fan Tokens HNK Orijent 1919

Cryptocurrency trading can lead to large and immediate financial losses. Transactions in cryptocurrency may be irreversible, and, accordingly, losses due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable. The nature of cryptocurrency may lead to an increased risk of fraud or cyber attack.

January the 31st, 2022 - Cryptocurrencies in Croatia are gaining in popularity, with many locations now offering the ability for people to use them for payments, including the giant Konzum. Here's where people mostly make payments in cryptocurrencies in Croatia at the moment.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, investing in cryptocurrencies in Croatia still boasts a trend which is significantly stronger than the mere use of cryptocurrencies for payments boasts, which is something that is still very much in its infancy in this country.

"Paying with cryptocurrencies in Croatia is something that is just beginning. Personally, I use this method of payment on a daily basis, from buying food and drink, to fuel, concert tickets to appliances and even cars,'' said Nikola Skoric, the head of Electrocoin, a company that mediates in cryptocurrency trading and processes crypto payments in Croatia.

He then presented the case of the largest cooperation in the Croatian cryptocurrency market, the one between Electrocoin and Konzum, which enabled Konzum customers (when shopping on their website) to pay for their goods in cryptocurrencies through Electrocoin's PayCek, Croatia's first cryptocurrency payment processor. While that's all well and good, what exactly is the level of interest of the ''average Joe'' in this payment possibility?

Uros Kalinic, a member of Konzum's Management Board for Finance and IT, agrees that this method of payment is still in its infancy, but he also revealed that Konzum records payments in cryptocurrencies in its online store almost every single day.

“Individuals and legal entities, owners of cryptocurrencies in Croatia, can buy and pay for their groceries, hygiene and household supplies and other products from Konzum's online store which has more than 12,000 items for sale. We expect an increase in people's general level of interest, as was the case with card payments and other innovations, such as the use of self-service check outs, cashless check outs and the use of Google and Apple Pay applications (apps).

Payment in cryptocurrencies in Croatia is currently possible on Konzum's online store, and we'll soon introduce this option in other stores throughout Croatia. At Konzum, we're constantly trying to offer our customers new opportunities and technologies,'' said Kalinic.

They realised the project in just a few months, and the experience of buying items on their online store, as well as paying with cryptocurrencies, is simple and similar to card payments. “When completing the product selection, the customer can choose the cryptocurrency payment option and the system will offer him a list of those available. After selecting the desired cryptocurrency to pay with, the amount in its equivalent is displayed and a QR code and payment address are generated, after which the customer simply scans the QR code. With the confirmation of the transaction, they will make the payment and confirm the transaction from the PayCek system of our partner Electrocoin by e-mail, while Konzum will send the customer an invoice for the paid service or product,'' explained Kalinic.

All receipts issued by Konzum are fiscalised in accordance with the normal regulations, including those paid in cryptocurrencies. Kalinic noted that Konzum has no direct contact with cryptocurrencies at any time, and that when it comes to volatility that is specific to cryptocurrencies, customers have no risk because Electrocoin is the one which has taken the risk.

Customers have a fixed exchange rate of 15 minutes, which is the warranty period for making a payment on Konzum's online store. "The whole process of buying and paying with cryptocurrencies, in addition to being secure, is very simple for the buyer, which was one of the preconditions for embarking on such a revolutionary venture," said Uros Kalinic.

Before Konzum, Tifon embarked on this venture, introducing the possibility of paying with cryptocurrencies in Croatia at its fuel stations as of February the 2nd last year. From Tifon, they stated that since then, the number of transactions on a monthly basis has been constantly increasing. Significant growth was noticed during the summer months with the arrival of foreign tourists, but this, they say, was expected because cryptocurrencies are a more popular means of payment abroad.

"However, we must point out that through the reports we can see that cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by customers who live in Croatia, which is a good result considering that the number of customers who use cryptocurrencies is still relatively low here on the Croatian market. In addition to that, it is a very interesting fact that cryptocurrencies were mostly used at locations on the motorway heading down to the Croatian coast, but in both directions, then in Zagreb and even at all points of sale in Slavonia, which pleasantly surprised us,'' they added from Tifon.

The process of introducing cryptocurrency payment options was simple and took only two months. Firstly, they defined the entire process within the company, which includes cash payments, fiscalisation and invoicing, data transfer to their reporting system, tracking the payments from the PayCek platform and final postings in ERP. The second step involved the development, ie the integration of PayCek into the internal retail system using the API interface developed by Electrocoin. The third step involved detailed testing in which the detected deficiencies were readily corrected. For the fourth step, they created profiles on the PayCek platform and connected them to the cash registers. The final, fifth step was to put the service into production.

"Transactions are fiscalised in the same way as all other transactions are, with the remark that when sending data to the fiscal system of the Tax Administration, only the type of payment should be referred to as ''Other/Ostalo''.

Tifon doesn't accept cryptocurrencies itself, the PayCek platform does it for us, which converts the cryptocurrency into Croatian kuna when the customer pays the bill, and Tifon immediately receives kuna for its products/services. Following the above, it's logical that such transactions are marked as ''Other'' under the type of payment, which is also mentioned on the receipt that we issue to the customer following payment," they explained from Tifon.

The City of Sveta Nedelja threw itself into the use of cryptocurrencies in Croatia and quickly embarked on this endeavor. They were among the first in the world to introduce the possibility of paying utility fees in cryptocurrencies, obviously realising that this was a trend that would become very popular with time.

“The reason for that is the focus on modern technologies, as well as monitoring market demands. We're primarily refering a large number of successful companies operating in the area of ​​our city, such as Rimac Automobili, Greyp Bikes, Medical Intertrade, Sancta Domenica and many others. In addition to that, the goal is to create opportunities for further development of the IT industry across Croatia and also to attract companies to keep up with the times in which the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is undoubtedly one of the drivers of development. At this moment in time, Sveta Nedelja is carrying out several payments using this method, which is understandable considering that cryptocurrencies are viewed through the prism of investment opportunities.

The transaction starts on the website of the City of Sveta Nedelja where all personal data is filled in, then the payment section is selected, and then the user connects to the PayCek payment system where the user has the option to choose one of several cryptocurrencies (such as BTC, ETH, XLM, BCH , XRP, DAI, EOS, USDT, USDC, BUSD, SOL).

After choosing a cryptocurrency, we connect to our own so-called wallet (for example Exodus), select the cryptocurrency sending option and enter the wallet address received in the PayCek payment system. The City of Sveta Nedelja then receives the payment in kuna, considering that the conversion was made through the above-mentioned system,'' they explained from Sveta Nedelja's administration.

Although paying in cryptocurrencies in Croatia is still in its infancy, perhaps, as Skoric said, this is just the beginning of something new.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

January 10, 2022 - HNS joins the technological revolution in international football. In cooperation with two Croatian companies - AMPnet and Biznisport - the Croatian Football Federation introduces the loyalty Vatreni crypto token and mobile application.

HNS will thus give millions of loyal Croatia fans more opportunities to interact with players, participate in HNS decisions, and other opportunities that will be exclusively available only to owners of the Vatreni crypto token, writes the Croatian Football Federation. 

"By stepping into the crypto market, we are following global trends, and we want to connect even better with our fans and provide them with opportunities they have not had before. I am especially proud to work with Croatian companies in this project because we believe that Croatian knowledge in IT is absolutely competitive and that we get partners who are equally committed to cooperation like us," said the president of HNS Marijan Kustić.

The official crypto partner of HNS is the Croatian company AMPnet, which provides its technology exclusively for tokens.

"Thank you, HNS, for your cooperation and shared desire to provide all fans of the Croatia national football team with an even better experience with the Vatreni loyalty token. With the support of HNS and the integration of AMPnet technology and Biznisport partners, we will be able to participate in making certain decisions, the right of priority when buying tickets, and discounts with HNS partners.

They will also have the opportunity to win, earn or buy exclusive products not available elsewhere. In addition, the token owner will be able to use the token for payment because it is compatible with Electrocoin's Paycheck application, which allows cryptocurrency payments in more than 200 places, such as Konzum, Ferivi, Ulaznice.hr, Football Mania, Sancta Domenica, Hrvatska pošta and others," said AMPnet CEO Mislav Javor.

The pre-sale of a limited number of Vatreni loyalty tokens is not yet available to everyone. All those interested in buying the token can get more information and apply for the waiting list here: https://token.hns-cff.hr 

Important note:

Vatreni crypto token is, by its nature, a cryptocurrency. Investing in cryptocurrencies is extremely risky and should not be undertaken by anyone who does not have enough knowledge. The cryptocurrency market is only partially regulated, so potential investors cannot count on all forms of protection available to them in the traditional financial market. If you do not master the matter so that you know how to receive cryptocurrencies on a digital wallet and keep them safe, do not indulge in investing in cryptocurrencies.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.  

December the 28th, 2021 - Cryptocurrency in Croatia has been becoming more and more widepsread in terms of its use over more recent months, and you can now use this method of making payments in quite wide variety of ways. You can even buy furniture with it.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, centres in Pula and Kukuljanovo are the first points of sale of the company Namjestaj Mima, where cryptocurrency purchases will be made possible. The company has announced that this option will soon be available in other shopping centres as well as on their web shop. This is the first example that a furniture retailer operating here on the Croatia market deciding to introduce this ultra-modern form of payment.

"By introducing cryptocurrency payments, Namjestaj Mima is boldly stepping out into a new generation of creating shopping experiences and turning to both old and new customers who embrace these innovations and global trends which are increasingly present in our daily lives," said Marina Marjanovic, the director of the aforementioned furniture company.

The crypto payment option was provided by this merchant in cooperation with Electrocoin, the owner of the most widespread crypto payment processing platform PayCek, through which transactions will be carried out in Namjestaj Mima's various salons.

Electrocoin explained that PayCek guarantees the buyer at the time of initiating the transaction a fixed exchange rate in time sufficient for its successful execution, taking into account the volatility of the cryptocurrency exchange rate, which can vary from minute to minute.

"The number of clients interested in the PayCek platform is constantly growing," said Hrvoje Hrvatin, marketing manager of Electrocoin, which recently made payments in cryptocurrency available recently for the largest retail chain in the domestic market - Konzum.

For a country which sill loves paper and red tape, the use of cryptocurrency in Croatia could signal a further step into the 21st century.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

September the 11th, 2021 - Cryptocurrency is in the news more and more frequently of late, either for good or bad reasons. This popular way of investing and it being outside the realm of much government control has proven popular, and as it leaks into the mainstream, people are able to do more and more with it. Mate Rimac, who is perhaps the most forward-thinking entrepreneur in Croatia, has now allowed his Greyp Bikes to be purchased with it.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, thanks to the cooperation of Mate Rimac's Greyp Bikes and PayCek, the leading Croatian cryptocurrency payment processor, all Greyp products can now be purchased directly through nine leading cryptocurrencies: BTC, ETH, BCH, XLM, XRP, DAI, EOS, USDT, USDC.

Greyp Bikes has always been a leader in technology in the cycling world, bringing Croatia forward in that respect too, so this was a logical next step in the further development of this Sveta Nedelja-based company.

Although Greyp Bikes could have been purchased with cryptocurrencies before, the process has now been simplified and fully integrated into the online billing process at greyp.com. The move should come as no surprise to anyone who monitors what Livno-born entrepreneur Mate Rimac does when it comes to both his cars and his bikes, and it seems that advancing forward further and further is something he is deeply interested in.

PayCek, which was otherwise developed by Electrocoin, is a cryptocurrency payment platform that has attracted a new generation of consumers as it enables the easy, secure and fast acceptance of all major cryptocurrencies, and this created a perfect partnership between these two technologically advanced Croatian technology companies.

As Greyp Bikes' slogan suggests - NO GOING BACKWARDS, and this move will certainly make any transactions much more simple and secure.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

Earlier this year, there was even talk that Konzum and Lidl's checkouts could end up accepting Bitcoin. Could a unique Croatian solution make that a reality?

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bernard Ivezic writes on the 15th of September, 2019, of course, the aforementioned stores don't offer this payment possibility yet, but the first Croatian product that could potentially enable it has now officially appeared on the market, and (miraculously) in full compliance with stringent Croatian laws.

Meet Adeo POS box office. Behind this piece of Croatian innovation is the director of one of the oldest brokerages in Croatia and a financial expert who was very interested in taking over the Zagreb Stock Exchange just last year, Milan Horvat.

Its entry into the payment system, through Fima Plus, which is managed by Fima Pay, coincides with the entry into force of the Union PSD2 Directive, which opens up practical space for the development of fintech in Croatia. In cooperation with the Zagreb-based software company Neoinfo, Horvat launched the first Croatian crypto box checkout on the entire market. Fima Plus CEO Milan Horvat says that Zagreb's Neoinfo was the first to recognise the potential of such a solution.

"Following the successful implementation of Fima Pay, both companies want to continue their business cooperation by developing new joint projects," Horvat says. Igor Vukmirović, the director of Neoinfo, confirms that this is his goal as well, as Adeo POS cash registers are used by more than 1700 users, including Franck, Koncar and BSH events. He adds that this doesn't mean that these users already have this service, as crypto payments will do have to be contracted separately.

"Our vision is for Adeo POS to be the most technologically advanced cash register on the regional market, and consequently, we're following the latest trends in the world of sales and payments," says Vukmirović. He adds that that's why they've already offered, along with their POS checkouts, support for payments made with Google Pay, Apple Pay, Garmin Pay, and then M2pay card processing. In addition, they offered mobile payment through Settle from the Norwegian company Auka, which also wants to solve the problem of converting other currencies into kuna directly at the site of actual payment.

Horvat says that it is now thanks to the support offered by the Fima Pay cashier service, that Adeo POS can also support payments with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ether and Bitcoin Cash.

In the case of all these payments, the merchant receives kuna in their account, but Horvat's goal is much higher that that.

"The plan is to extend the use of Fima Pay to all companies that have recognised the importance of digital business transformation and to enable them to receive payments in cryptocurrencies, as every company in the world, including those registered and operating here in Croatia, can accept the payment of their invoices and bills in cryptocurrency," Horvat concluded.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business and Made in Croatia pages for much more on Croatian innovation.