3D Hubs represents the C2C (consumer to consumer) face of manufacturing, while Bitcoin represents that same face for money circulation. Now, they have joined together through an official partnership between the largest global network of privately owned factories (i.e. 3D printers) and Bitcoin payment service provider BitPay. Through international payment service provider Ayden, 3D Hubs will now accept the digital currency as a form of payment.
Out of the many trends that are starting to shape the more sustainable, livable, accessible and fair worldscape of the future, interactions that are based on decentralization and P2P (person to person) – or C2C (consumer to consumer), to use a less “controversial” acronym – seem to be the most powerful. Together with knowledge and content sharing, services like Airbnb and Uber are creating a revolution that is unstoppable.
Although it will arguably take significantly longer for decentralized manufacturing and money circulation to take hold at a mass market consumer level, they are both already very powerful trends that are growing exponentially month after month. 3D Hubs, for example, has added some 3,000 (30%) new members since the beginning of 2015. And Ayden’s acceptance of Bitcoin similarly reflects the growth of the decentralization trend.
BitPay is a global leader in bitcoin payment solutions and has raised over $32 million in financing. 3D Hubs has also raised $4.5 million in the latest round, demonstrating that many top investors strongly believe in a decentralized future for both money and industrial production. Judging by the success that several such C2C ventures are enjoying, it is really only a matter of when.
