Prague has long been home to opulent coffeehouses, where everyone from Kafka to Einstein gathered to debate the burning issues of the day. Fast forward to the 21st century and the tradition of the coffeehouse as radical hub continues in the form of Paralelní Polis’s Bitcoin Coffee in the suburb of Holešovice.
Founded by anarchic ethical hacker collective Ztohoven, the cavernous ground floor space is fitted with the industrial light fittings and paper honeycomb furniture found in hip cafes, but there’s a difference – the only form of payment accepted is the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Barista Alžběta Svobodová even has a chip implanted in her wrist so she’s never without her virtual wallet. “We want to introduce Bitcoin to people from the street,” she explains. “The cafe is a tool to do that.”
Not ready for a subcutaneous chip? Cash can be exchanged in the Bitcoin converter machine at the entrance; or load your Bitcoin on to an app such as Mycelium or a special plastic card. Rate fluctuations can be monitored in real time via the flat screen on the wall.
Nordbeans, a speciality roastery based in Liberec, north-east of Prague, sources the sustainable coffee. Expect to find all the usual espresso-based brews, as well as cutting-edge filter preparation methods, such as V60 and Aeropress on offer at the free-standing bar – intended to embody the open exchange of ideas in the digital age that Paralelní Polis espouses.
