In recognition of its potential importance to the Isle of Man economy, Ashgrove Marketing has gifted each of its staff with a portion of a Bitcoin.  This follows the agency’s acceptance of Bitcoin as payment, a facility introduced last month allowing clients to pay invoices using the digital currency.
 
Every member of the communication agency’s staff had a crypto-currency wallet opened for them with local provider CoinCorner. The staff then underwent training on what Bitcoin is, how to buy and sell it using the wallet app, and how to purchase goods and services with their smart phone. Finally, the company sent a portion of a Bitcoin to every employee’s wallet and sent them to the Thirsty Pigeon to try it out by buying a drink.
 
Managing Director Terry Van Rhyn explained it is about encouraging adoption: “Lots of businesses are starting to see the value of crypto to the Island’s economy, but there is still precious little understanding of Bitcoin in the general Manx population. We decided we would start to tackle that by ensuring that at the very least all of our staff own Bitcoin and know how to make use of it in their day to day lives. That’s doubly important for us because we are doing a lot of work in the sector, so our staff have to really get it.”
 
Senior Manager Graeme Brooks added his desire to see other companies emulate Ashgrove’s decision: “Widespread education and adoption is important to this industry but there aren’t many concrete steps being taken to promote that. The first vital step for us was to become Bitcoin friendly as a business and that meant accepting Bitcoin as payment from clients, but we also wanted to make sure that all of our staff were experienced users of the currency.  We will be challenging our clients, suppliers and friends to follow our lead and help their staff start to use this growing payment phenomenon. It’s easy, it doesn’t have to be expensive and actually, thanks to the great team over at CoinCorner and vendors like the Thirsty Pigeon providing a sociable testing environment, it’s really good fun too!”
 
The locally headquartered communications agency is heavily involved in the growing crypto-currency industry. They recently ran the Crypto Valley Summit in Douglas, which attracted more than 80 off-island investors and has been widely hailed in the global crypto industry as a leading gathering. The Summit resulted in one key commentator stating that the Isle of Man is “the new capital of crypto”.
 
If you are looking into crypto-currency and don’t know where to start, or want to take Ashgrove up on its challenge to give crypto-coins to your own staff, call Graeme on 645390.
 
Photo - Coin Corner team pictured with Ashgrove team at The Thirsty Pigeon