Mission Accomplished! World's First Bitcoin Bar Room77 Closes, Saying Its Mission Phase Is Complete

As the world's first physical business to accept Bitcoin payments, the legendary German Bitcoin bar "Room77" seems to have succumbed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as owner Jörg Platzer announced on Reddit that the bar has officially closed permanently. Upon hearing the news, the crypto community has been posting tributes to "Room77," which was dedicated to promoting Bitcoin.

Room77

Located in Berlin, Germany, "Room77" gained fame in 2011 for being the first physical business to accept Bitcoin. Apart from being seen as a milestone by the crypto community, it is also recognized as an important part of Bitcoin culture.

Founder Jörg Platzer once stated that Room77 completely changed the traditional media's perception of Bitcoin. In an interview in 2018, Platzer pointed out:

Before Room77, all reports about Bitcoin in the market were nothing more than hackers stealing credit card information and exchanging Bitcoins on the dark web or black market, always accompanied by the silhouette of a guy wearing a black hat and T-shirt. Later, the media discovered that there really was a bar where people could show their faces to the camera and explain what Bitcoin is and how it works.

"In the early 2000s, no individual or organization created more positive reports about Bitcoin than this stupid little bar called Room77," emphasized Platzer.

Projects and Developers Drawn to Room77's Magic

Room77 is known as the birthplace of Bitcoin in Europe, not only hosting regular meetups, but also rumored to have developers gather there as blockchain technology started to gain recognition. For example, the peer-to-peer trading platform LocalBitcoins was developed by brothers Jeremias and Nikolaus Kangas at this bar.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin also once built the foundational code of Ethereum at the bar, and co-founder Gavin Wood even set up an office nearby, although not all stories are confirmed.

Room77 hosts a monthly Bitcoin meetup called "Bitcoin Stammtisch," sometimes with standing room only, depending on the price of Bitcoin. The meetups have no presentations or speakers; it's all about free-flowing conversations and good times, with media reporters considering the meetups a reliable source of Bitcoin information.

Devoted to Bitcoin

In 2013, as the price of Bitcoin was taking off after the halving of Bitcoin rewards, Europe saw a Bitcoin ATM at Room77. Despite facing setbacks due to German regulations, the ATM was initially removed, but with the 2018 Berlin court ruling that Bitcoin is not an official currency, Bitcoin operated in a gray area, and the ATM made a comeback.

Additionally, the Monero community would regularly hold meetings at Room77, hoping the bar would accept Monero payments, which never materialized. Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn also mentioned in a 2017 tweet:

About a year ago, the owner of Room77 told me that Zcash would be the first cryptocurrency he would consider accepting for payment, besides Bitcoin.

One of the most interesting incidents occurred in 2018 when a customer requested to pay with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and threatened to sue Room77 if the request was denied. Room77 refused the request and awaited the lawsuit.

On the 19th of this month, Platzer posted on Reddit announcing the closure of Room77, believing that Room77's "phase mission" has been completed. He stated:

The first ten years of Bitcoin were crucial. There were always people who wanted to restrict its development, so we stopped in Berlin to provide a small place to explain the importance of Bitcoin to people. Now Bitcoin cannot be restricted anymore, and even if a war is waged, it cannot stop Bitcoin from establishing a mechanism for global economic equality.

"It's been a happy time, met a lot of friends, and thank you for the generous tips. We will see each other again soon," Platzer said.

In the post, Platzer did not mention whether the closure was due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, Berlin imposed a curfew on bars in response to the pandemic. While the court later suspended the curfew, the ban on alcohol sales from 11 pm to 6 am remains. Regardless of the actual reason, Room77 will leave its mark on Bitcoin history.