Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar: Where the past meets the future.
Living in Split, it is easy to forget what year it is. While we are currently powering through 2017, we spend much of our time walking through the alleyways of a palace built at the turn of the fourth century AD. We watch clothes hang on frayed lines from the crooked windows above us, and the widowed women dressed in black that sell us freshly picked grapes off the vine forces time to stop. The influence of so many different eras allows Split to withstand the test of time.
Today we bring you the story of Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar, a bar located inside the home to the birthplace of Marko Marulić, the father of Croatian literature. Today, Split’s favorite library jazz bar has propelled their 15th-century walls into the future with the introduction of bitcoin.
For those that aren’t familiar, the bitcoin is an innovative payment network and what we like to call a “new kind of money”. The digital currency was released back in 2009 and promises lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms. Unlike government-issued currencies, bitcoin is operated by a decentralized authority and there is no physical form of it.
Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar
We caught up with Tin Bojanic, the owner of Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar, to find out more about their launch into the digital age with bitcoin.
Hello, Tin! Can you tell us a bit about the process of paying with bitcoin at Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar?
Well, the people that will pay with Bitcoin are those who already have a BitcoinWallet on their mobile phones. The transfer will go through the BlockChain and it will finish on the company’s declared Bitcoin account. This will, later on, be transferred to the Croatian Bank Account, faster than credit cards!
Talk about a launch into the future! What made you decide to bring bitcoin payments to the bar?
I work with a lot of tourists at the bar, and I have been asked about it many times. Many that do not have time - or do not want to - change their foreign currency, but they do have a BitcoinWallet, are my potential customers. One story this summer: A girl that was robbed in the Ghetto and therefore did not have any real money or credit cards asked me if she could pay at the bar with bitcoin using a computer.
Do you know about other bars or restaurants in Split or Croatia taking bitcoin as payment? Are you the first in Split?
I am not sure if there are any other bars or restaurants accepting bitcoin in Split; I am also one of the few bars that allow credit cards as well.
How do you expect bitcoin payments will be received at the bar? Do you see both locals and tourists using this digital cash?
I work with a lot of tourists and expats, and all of them are familiar with bitcoin, but I also know many Croatians who work in IT and are getting paid in crypto, so they are my potential customers as well. Many Croatians who are working abroad are making transfers that way too. And as I introduced Guinness and Tango to many Croatians, I am doing the same with CryptoCurrency now.
This cultural place that makes us feel we are in the past, at the same time, from now on, will also take us to the future, as we accept Bitcoin.
Good to know for you Bitcoin users in Split, you are now welcome at Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar.
