Tando 是非洲完美的比特幣應用程式

在我參加今年的非洲比特幣會議之前，我看到與會者發布了有關 Tando 的帖子，這是一款位於肯尼亞的新支付應用程序，允許用戶在不接受比特幣的商家處消費。

When I tell people I'm headed to Africa to cover the continent's Bitcoin conference, the first question I get is usually something like, "Is bitcoin legal in Africa?"

當我告訴人們我要去非洲報道非洲大陸的比特幣會議時，我得到的第一個問題通常是“比特幣在非洲合法嗎？”

The answer, of course, is that it depends on the country. In some African nations, bitcoin is fully legal, while in others it exists in a gray area or is even banned outright.

答案當然是取決於國家。在一些非洲國家，比特幣是完全合法的，而在其他國家，它存在於灰色地帶，甚至被徹底禁止。

But legality doesn't tell the whole story. Even in countries where bitcoin is technically illegal, people are still using it — and not just to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. They're also using bitcoin to pay for everyday goods and services, thanks to a growing number of apps that make it possible to spend sats with merchants who don't accept bitcoin.

但合法性並不能說明全部。即使在比特幣在技術上是非法的國家，人們仍在使用它——而不僅僅是為了買賣加密貨幣。他們還使用比特幣來支付日常商品和服務，這要歸功於越來越多的應用程序，這些應用程式使得與不接受比特幣的商家一起消費成為可能。

One of these apps is called Tando, a Kenya-based payments app that I saw attendees posting about before I even arrived at the conference. I had to check it out for myself.

其中一個應用程式名為 Tando，這是一款位於肯亞的支付應用程序，在我到達會議之前，我就看到與會者發布了有關該應用程式的資訊。我必須親自檢查一下。

To use Tando, I simply downloaded the app and prepared to pay any merchant who accepts payments via M-PESA, Kenya's mobile money service. (I didn't have to go through a set up or KYC process, as Tando doesn't collect any identifying information from its users.)

為了使用 Tando，我只需下載該應用程式並準備好向任何接受透過肯亞行動貨幣服務 M-PESA 付款的商家付款。 （我不必經歷設置或 KYC 流程，因為 Tando 不會從用戶收集任何身份資訊。）

When the merchant presented me with my bill, I simply clicked on the "Send Money" square on the app's home screen. From there, I entered the mobile number tied to the M-PESA account to which I'm sending money and then input the amount of Kenyan shillings I want to send.

當商家向我出示帳單時，我只需點擊應用程式主畫面上的「匯款」方塊即可。從那裡，我輸入了與我要匯款的 M-PESA 帳戶綁定的手機號碼，然後輸入了我想要匯款的肯亞先令金額。

The app automatically calculated the amount of sats it will take to cover the shilling amount I've input. I then clicked on the green "Create Invoice" button to obtain a Lightning invoice. After that, I copied the invoice and paid it via my preferred Lightning wallet. Tando receives the sats and then settles the bill in shillings with the merchant within seconds.

該應用程式會自動計算支付我輸入的先令金額所需的 Sat 數量。然後，我點擊綠色的「建立發票」按鈕來取得閃電發票。之後，我複製了發票並透過我喜歡的閃電錢包付款。 Tando 收到 Sats，然後在幾秒鐘內與商家以先令結算帳單。

I can barely count how many times I've watched Bitcoiners use Tando to pay restaurant bills or taxi fares since I've been here. (I've been to a lot of restaurants and have ridden in a lot of taxis since I've arrived.)

自從我來到這裡以來，我幾乎數不清有多少次看到比特幣用戶使用 Tando 來支付餐廳帳單或出租車費。 （自從我到達以來，我去過很多餐館，也乘坐過很多出租車。）

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: Tando interfaces with a fiat payment system, which means it should be excommunicated from the Church of Bitcoin.

現在，我知道你們中的一些人在想什麼：Tando 與法定支付系統接口，這意味著它應該被逐出比特幣教會。

But before you allow yourself to entertain that kind of thinking, please consider the following notions:

但在您允許自己進行這種思考之前，請考慮以下概念：

The excitement around Tando at the conference was part of the broader enthusiasm around apps that make bitcoin easier to use across the African continent — apps like Bitsacco, Machankura, Fedi and Bitnob.

會議上圍繞 Tando 的興奮是人們對讓比特幣在整個非洲大陸更容易使用的應用程式（如 Bitsacco、Machankura、Fedi 和 Bitnob）更廣泛熱情的一部分。

These apps are playing a crucial role in driving bitcoin adoption among Africans, who are already far ahead of their counterparts in the United States when it comes to using bitcoin as it is intended to be used — as peer-to-peer electronic cash.

這些應用程式在推動非洲人採用比特幣方面發揮著至關重要的作用，在使用比特幣作為點對點電子現金方面，非洲人已經遠遠領先美國同行。

And while many Africans are working tirelessly to onboard as many merchants as they can to Bitcoin, Tando is an excellent intermediary step that allows Bitcoiners to spend their sats even if the merchants with whom they're spending don't yet accept bitcoin payments.

儘管許多非洲人正在孜孜不倦地努力讓盡可能多的商家接受比特幣，但 Tando 是一個出色的中間步驟，即使他們消費的商家尚未接受比特幣支付，比特幣用戶也可以使用他們的 Sats。