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How Strainly Used Bitcoin to Keep Sales Flowing When Banks Said No
Welcome to Advance Genie, the 2x per-month newsletter that helps operators in highly stigmatized industries find alternative financing methods.

Strainly, a cannabis and hemp genetics marketplace, faced a similar issue to many cannabis-first businesses: banks don’t want to work with them.
So here’s how the company used Bitcoin to get payments through the platform without needing to rely on banks:
1. Don’t Build a New Payment System. Leverage an Open Source One

Strainly didn't want to build a whole new payment system. So, they used a tool called BTCPay Server. This is an open-source tool that helps businesses accept Bitcoin.
Here’s how it works for Strainly sellers:
Sellers can set up BTCPay Server.
When a customer wants to buy seeds, they can choose to pay with Bitcoin.
The customer sees a QR code. They scan it with their Bitcoin wallet app to send the payment.
It’s like a digital cash register but for Bitcoin.
As a result, sellers on Strainly have a new way to get paid that bypasses the old banking roadblocks.
2. Give Sellers Control with Their Own Wallets

When using BTCPay Server, the money doesn't go to Strainly first. It goes straight to the seller's own Bitcoin wallet.
This is important because each seller controls their own funds. They don't have to wait for Strainly to send them their money. This is often called "noncustodial," meaning the marketplace doesn't hold the seller's crypto.
By doing it that way, sellers have more control and faster access to their money. They also don’t have to rely on middlemen to process their crypto payments once the customer pays.
3. Provide Your Target Audience With The Tools to Operate in a Taboo Market

With Bitcoin, these vendors can transact freely, bypassing the banking restrictions and allowing them to keep doing business.
Strainly used Bitcoin to create a true peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace where buyers could pay sellers more directly.
This wasn't just about one company finding a solution. It was about giving a whole community of sellers tools to operate in a tough environment. They built their marketplace using these new "blockchain rails" for payments.
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