The now well-known Bitcoin Store brand is the product of the hard work of the entire team of the company named Digital Assets founded in 2013 by Šime Bakić and Tomislav Vajić. The Bitcoin Store team currently counts 21 full-time employees and has opened the first physical exchange offices for cryptocurrencies in Europe.

Bitcoin Store branches are available in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split, while their strong and continuous digital presence recently got a fantastic upgrade of their Bitcoin Store Wallet app.

Bitcoin Store Wallet was introduced in 2021 as the first Croatian one-stop app for buying, selling, transferring, and storing cryptocurrencies. The Bitcoin Store team recently released a new version of this popular cryptocurrency app. The app itself gained traction quickly upon its 2021 release, mainly because it allowed everyone – especially non-tech users – to explore crypto and jump-start a cryptocurrency portfolio from the palm of their hand.

The new version of the Bitcoin Store Wallet app includes a range of new features and improvements that make it an even more powerful and user-friendly tool for day-to-day cryptocurrency management.

Of course, this meant it was high time to #CatchUp with the Bitcoin Store team. So that’s what we did!

What does a typical day at Bitcoin Store look like?

“Given that our employees have flexible working hours and can work in the office or remotely, every day is relatively different from the previous one.

In the Lavčević building in Split, where our 3 offices are located, employees are sectioned by job description, and each department has its own office. This enables better communication and cooperation between employees.

There is never a dull moment in fast-growing industries like FinTech and blockchain.

Every day there is some innovation and a new direction, which makes the pace very dynamic. You must constantly follow the trends and, at the same time, have a clear bigger picture to be able to incorporate innovations into your products so you can ultimately provide the best experience to every user.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t set aside time for fun and relaxation! 😀

Given that we have flexible working hours, each employee arranges their own schedule. During the day, we often hang out with the Nintendo Switch, sometimes the playful atmosphere continues even after working hours.”

As a company, in what aspect has Bitcoin Store grown the most in the past year?

“In the last year, we have firmly positioned our Bitcoin Store brand as the number one crypto exchange in Croatia. We completely redesigned our web platform and mobile application and expanded the offer of cryptocurrencies.

In parallel with the improvement and development of new products, we also opened a new physical exchange office in Rijeka, thus covering the third-largest city in Croatia.”

What is the most interesting thing about Bitcoin Store?

“The projects and products we work on are innovative new technologies. Through them, we strive to combine blockchain technology with various financial tools and simultaneously make them accessible and understandable to everyone, regardless of their technological background.

The advantage of working on projects that are closely related to blockchain technology is the possibility to collaborate with top talents from various fields of activity.

Currently, no other industry offers so many opportunities for innovation, but also for personal growth and development.”

What do you love most about the Bitcoin Store team?

“Each person in our team comes from a different industry and has different affinities.

This has enabled us to create a culture in which the exchange of ideas, the pursuit of innovation, and the constant desire to advance are valued.

Many people think that it is necessary to know blockchain technology in detail to work in this industry, but actually, all you need is the desire to learn and work.”

What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome?

“In the first years of business, the biggest obstacles were related to people’s mistrust of cryptocurrencies as a type of asset.

It was a normal reaction because you had a new type of asset that achieved great value and that used technology that was never seen before. On the other hand, finances are always a sensitive topic for all of us, so the initial resistance is not surprising.

Fortunately, the opinion has changed over time. As the industry developed, new solutions were also developed, and educational materials were written that tried to bring the possibilities of technology closer to everyone – from technological experts to everyday people who might not be so at ease with technology.

Our approach, where we combine an online environment with physical exchange offices, was a great fit in such a situation.

In the sea of various online crypto exchanges, we became the place where you could come and learn about all the advantages of blockchain technology and buy your first cryptocurrency with cash.

With our physical presence and constant improvement of customer support, we have gradually gained the trust of users.”

And what about mistakes and lessons learned from them?

“As we mentioned earlier, blockchain is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. In such an environment, you often don’t have much time for in-depth analysis and planning.

Sometimes you have to adapt quickly to changes, and in such situations, wrong decisions are often made.

The biggest mistakes are often human in nature, and mistakes are an integral part of this business, so it is essential to have a well-established team that is ready to get the best out of such an experience.”

Any advice from the Bitcoin Store founders would like to give to budding entrepreneurs?

“Remain persistent in your goal regardless of the unknowns and difficulties that may be found along the way!”

What projects is the Bitcoin Store team currently working on?

“In this phase, we strive to improve our services and products. Of course, we are also working on new projects with which we will try to make cryptocurrency trading processes even easier.”

Do you have any favorite projects?

“After all these years, it is difficult to single out a favorite project. Nevertheless, we are proud of the fact that we have launched the first Croatian application for storing and trading cryptocurrencies Bitcoin Store Wallet on both, Android and iOS platforms.”

What gives you the energy to continue working on Bitcoin Store’s development?

“The opportunity to work with a talented team in an industry that is set to shape many aspects of business in the coming years.”

Any future plans you would like to share?

“The company’s long-term goal is to develop into a fintech ecosystem that, by merging the physical and online environment, will offer all the products and services needed for cryptocurrency trading in one place.”

What are you the proudest of regarding Bitcoin Store?

“We’re proudest of all the people within the company and the teamwork that led us to many successes.”

How important was the local tech community for you?

“The local tech community has changed a lot. It allows us to connect with other entrepreneurs, exchange experiences, launch initiatives and even connect with future colleagues.

This is precisely why we should continue to work on strengthening and expanding the community!”

Where do you see Split in the future?

“It is very difficult to predict this. However, Split has great potential to become an important tech hub on the Croatian and European scene with the engagement of the youthful members of our community.”

We’d like to thank the Bitcoin Store team for taking the time to #CatchUp with us, would like to congratulate them once more on the successful launch of the updated and improved version of their Bitcoin Store Wallet app, and wish them a lot of success in all their future plans!

Photos by: Bitcoin Store