A new Canadian startup, ISG3D, has just launched their first 3D printer, the ISG 11, and is letting potential purchasers pay for it using the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Of course, you can always use your credit card or PayPal account, too, but ISG3D is the latest in a growing trend of businesses willing to accept Bitcoins as payment for their goods and services.
In addition to their first 3D printer, ISG3D also sells filaments, 3D printer parts, 3D printed products, and they even offer 3D design and printing services. Currently the startupis only offering sales and services online; however, the company is planning to open a new physical store and 3D printing facility in early 2015.
Based in Sherbrooke, Canada, ISG3D was founded by Samuel Guillemette who based his ISG 11 3D printer design off of the popular open source Prusa i3. The Prusa i3 is one of the most popular RepRap 3D printer configurations, and one of the most adaptable. Guillemette upgraded his version with features like a custom heated print bed and a redesigned frame.
The fully assembled ISG 11 has a print volume of 200mm x 200mm x 180mm (7.87inch x 7.87inch x 7.0inch) and can print using 1.75mm PLA or ABS filament. Currently priced at $773.11 ($899 CAD) ISG3D is willing to ship their products and 3D printer to Canada, the US, and Europe. And, if your purchase is over $100, they’ll even ship it for free. All printers also include a free spool of black PLA filament.
Take a look at this video of the ISG 11 in action:
ISG3D isn’t the first 3D printing business to accept payments in Bitcoins, but they are still among a small minority. While many businesses claim the popular cryptocurrency is far too unstable to safely accept, there are plenty of services that can convert Bitcoins into most currencies pretty easily and quickly, so I’m not sure that that explanation really holds water. That being said, Bitcoins are clearly not going away anytime soon, so the more new businesses start accepting them, the faster the currency will begin to stabilize.
Feature Image by Cointelegraph
