It was a snowy morning on Stephen Avenue in Calgary — busier than usual because of the holidays.
Brent Garrow spends a fair amount of time there, having experienced homelessness for the past six months.
“The only places I know where I can stay are the Mustard Seed, Alpha House and the (Calgary Drop-In Centre).”
He says folks who pass by are often generous — handing him coffee, food and sometimes cash.
But this time was different.
“A fairly well-dressed man in a suit and tie simply walked up and handed me the bill and said ‘Happy holidays’ and turned his head and walked away.”
Garrow nearly threw the note away, but after taking a couple steps, went back to get it and began investigating.
“I couldn’t find any information on bills.”
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The paper alleged to have the value of one Bitcoin, which currently trades for more than $130,000 Canadian.
It’s an amount that would change the lives of anyone who had possession of it — if it turned out to be real.
With a mix of optimism and skepticism, he reached out to Global News.
“I know nothing about the Bitcoin industry, per se, but here’s hoping,” he laughed.
Unfortunately, his lucky break was not to be.
The note was only worth the paper it was printed on.
Cryptocurrency is managed online — through ‘wallets’ that give users access to the larger blockchain that holds Bitcoin, among many other currencies.
Sometimes users print that information on paper, but this note was not one of them.
“What I was looking for on that bill was either a QR code or the data the QR code contains, which is 24 random words which is how crypto wallets keep your cryptocurrency secure,” explains Dennis Kasukawa, CEO of Vancouver Bitcoin.
General acceptance and knowledge of cryptocurrency has exploded since Kasukawa started his business in 2018.
But there’s still some stigma about the phenomenon – and the sudden wealth some people believe it could bring.
“(Bitcoin) has value at this point because people give it value. There are use cases for it, but you can’t go to the grocery store and buy your groceries with Bitcoin. It’s more a storage of value, like gold.” Kasukawa says.
Like any other investment, Kasukawa says folks should spend their money wisely, and not treat it like a “get-rich-quick scheme.”
Garrow says a lot less than $130,000 could change his whole life.
“You know, maybe $500 for the first month (of rent), $500 for a damage deposit, and $500 for food to get by for that month.
“That would give me a month where I’m not homeless and make me happy.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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