1.0 Abstract (A Chatty Prologue)

Ok, before anything else, let me let you in on an awkward secret: I am very broke. And by 'broke', I mean I am very much out of cash, money or fiat, whatever jargon you prefer. This has made me grumpy in a sort of way because I can't make a trip to the grocery store without cutting my lips after staring too much at the many other things I need but cannot have. Really, this wouldn't have been an issue if I was able to exchange the several cryptocurrencies I have garnered over time (both bitcoin and alt coins) for goods and services that are, at this point, valuable to me than life itself. But no, these several coins are barely sitting dock in several wallets waiting to accumulate value like dust inevitably gathered after a long period of not being utilized. My situation is only one of the many case scenarios (others might include the inability to operate a truly payless system or keep private things private) which have rendered many irreverent of the deliberately orchestrated penetration of several cryptocurrency systems into the global economic system.

So, in this article, essay or eye opening piece (I have never been really particular about the serious art of naming), I am going to be introducing you to a game changer: GRAFT. I will be giving you useful highlights into what GRAFT is, how GRAFT will change the payment processing industry, the former and present difficulties that come with accepting cryptocurrency for traditional purchase use and the likes. Also, we will delve into slightly technical details about the GRAFT's RTA system in its present and future modes, how it allows merchants to operate their business normally without springing up new technical surprises, and just what the benefits of having a software that can integrate on top of existing merchant devices are. Lastly, we will be examining the impact of being able to utilize cryptos to pay for any goods or services with regards to both merchants and customers, and how GRAFT integration will help many interact with cryptocurrency differently. All in all, we are just going to go on a wild tour into all things GRAFT . So why not sit tight and enjoy this roller-coaster tour (especially those who are interested in earning more crypto as well as putting the already available ones into good use).

1.1 Introduction

Digital currency is good, relevant even, but it is in no way ready for a splashing big time in the world.

This line of thought has been one prevalent song on the lips of one of my naughty friends and without doubt, on the lips of several crypto unbelievers like Howard Marks, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio and the Central Bank's heads who, apart from the other technological issues like high transaction fees and slow confirmation time that need redressing, can't get past the fact that these coins, either the major bitcoin or several other alt coins have 'no intrinsic value' and derive their essence from merely being 'highly speculative assets.' source But then, no past or present currency ever utilized has this purported intrinsic value;not gold or stones or cowries (something earlier used in Africa), not even a one dollar bill (I took a liking to this catch phrase after reading this).

These physical currencies only became valuable because the world systems chose to make them valuable. So rather than tag virtual currencies as not having "value", what should rather be said is that the world has not found enough value, enough use for these coins apart from storing them up in heaps and hoping like the king in the Rumpelstiltskin's tale that every straw is spun into pure gold. The fact that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have not accrued such world wide value is mainly due to the intended purpose of these coins to steer clear of world's regulatory bodies and attain such importance that enables it to become an instrument for successful micro-payments all on its own.

This purpose is good, great even but for cryptocurrencies (even bitcoin) to be taken more seriously than just a speculative asset that pose "little or no challenge to the existing order of fiat currencies and central banks because they are too volatile, too risky, too energy intensive, and the underlying technologies are not yet scalable" (source), these digital currencies have to find real, urgent, immediate value that does not involve waiting for the long or short haul, conversion to FIAT or getting stacked in private digital wallets that never go past being private. For cryptocurrency to expand its network of loyal believers, it has to become the currency it was purported to be. Plain and simple. I like the way Christine Lagarde, IMF's director puts this point across:

Consider the growing demand for new payment services in countries... payments can be made with credit cards and other forms of e-money. But the charges are relatively high for small-value transactions, especially across borders. Instead, citizens may one day prefer virtual currencies, since they potentially offer the same cost and convenience as cash—no settlement risks, no clearing delays, no central registration, no intermediary to check accounts and identities. source

Now, let's kick the may out of the way and put in the modal auxiliary will, because GRAFT is totally out to pave the way for cryptocurrency to become a veritable, affordable, acceptable preferred means of payment by merchants and buyers alike.

2.0 All Things GRAFT

Global Real-time Authorizations and Funds Transfers (GRAFT) is all about enabling the adoption of cryptocurrency payments and bringing it right up to the doorsteps of merchants, small and large businesses. In this regard, GRAFT stands out as an open source, open payment platform built on the blockchain and acting as a retail-oriented decentralized alternative payment processing network that brings cryptocurrency payments to the point of sale and beyond. What this means in plain terms is that GRAFT as an ecosystem is free for use in retail shops, over the counters and by anybody, both buyers and merchants so long as they are interested in vying for making or receiving payments of goods or services in cryptocurrency.

Now, GRAFT particularly holds up as a distinct payment processing method because of its affordable, easy and seamless payment protocols. Receiving or making payments in bitcoin or any other coin for that matter has always been an Herculean task as it meant one must go through a third party (which defeats crypto's purpose of privacy), and even worse, without having an ample knowledge of how the blockchain worked or the right networks to pass through, one might as well get lost or scammed in the mere process of exchanging digital currencies. This is inevitably one of the reasons buyers and merchants find it hard to adopt cryptocurrency alongside their other payment platforms. I mean, you can't simply walk into a grocery store, pick up a box of chocolate worth 20 bucks and say, "Heyo, botched up. Just remembered I forgot my credit card at home. So, I am going to go ahead and pay in Bitcoin!"

It was in response to this benumbing challenge that the whole concept of GRAFT was initiated and developed as a community project. Hence, GRAFT hasn't just emerged as a solution to an unfounded problem. In fact, a thorough research was conducted to determine "whether merchants are ready and interested in accepting cryptocurrency and what's stopping cryptocurrency from becoming a readily-accepted form of payment." And duly, three simple truths were discovered: merchants basically want what their customers want; if the customers are not driven through strategic marketing into wanting to pay with cryptos, then the merchants don't want it too. And then, getting both the customers and merchants to make sense of cryptocurrency payments would mean sorting out the intense issues with confirmation delays, high transaction fees, integration technicalities, third parties. Lastly and somewhat more importantly, merchants and customers alike would really want payment protocols to be neatly integrated with the other systems they already know so that they can off take transactions easily without having to be some millennial nerd.

GRAFT, in highlighting these problems, addressed them quite tactfully and simply via these platforms or products:

2.1 The Graft Mobile Wallet App

The mobile wallet serves a medium to store GRAFT tokens and other major cryptocurrencies as well as make payments or fund transfers. This efficient “Lite" desktop, mobile,and browser extension apps which are successfully supported by GRAFT's Decentralised stateless API (DAPI) also accepts several cryptographic tokens and credit cards and debit cards. So, that's like having a bunch of options to make or receive payments all locked up in one cool digital wallet. Download the Multi currency Mobile Wallet for IOS and Android.

2.2 The Graft Crypto find App

It only gets better with GRAFT's Cryptofind app which makes it easier to find retail shops, convenience stores and just about anywhere that accepts cryptocurrencies as payments for goods and services. The dynamic open source ecosystem of the app makes it possible for merchants to update their positions with regard to the acceptance of any or all virtual currencies. Customers and buyers can also contribute in turn. Not only can they request that a merchant make updates to their status based on their first hand experiences, they can also list new merchants that have only recently adopted cryptocurrency payments. The good thing is they get to make a passive income by earning GRFT tokens with every and each of their contributions. This is especially when the newly listed merchants are products of their intensive networking. This makes too much sense to be true, right? Well, it is true. Download the Cryptofind IOS and Android apps here, and check out this video for more details: