Elias pulled a crumpled envelope from his jacket pocket. Inside was six hundred dollars, the result of eighty hours of overtime and a skipped car payment. His heart hammered against his ribs. He knew the risks. He’d seen the headlines about crashes and scams, but he’d also seen the potential for a system that didn't require permission to exist.
He hit "Confirm." For a few agonizing seconds, the screen displayed a spinning circle. Then, a green checkmark appeared. "Transaction Sent." buying btcoin
One by one, he fed the bills into the slot. The machine inhaled the cash with a rhythmic mechanical whir. One hundred.Two hundred.Five hundred. Elias pulled a crumpled envelope from his jacket pocket