Alex Adelman: How to Earn & Get Bitcoin Back with Lolli.com
11/11/2020 · 50 min · transcript via mlx
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Key topics
— Alex Adelman's journey from building Cosmic (an e-commerce gateway) through acquisitions by PopSugar and Rakuten, arriving at Lolli as a Bitcoin rewards platform integrated into everyday shopping.
— Lolli's core model: earn Bitcoin cashback (ranging from 0.5% to 40%) when shopping at 500+ retail partners, designed to onboard non-technical users ("Bitcoin for Bubby").
— Early Bitcoin merchant adoption was weak due to volatility and lack of consumer demand; payments adoption proved impractical at scale, shifting focus to rewards as a gateway drug.
— Retailer perception has evolved from viewing Bitcoin rewards as marketing gimmick to recognizing Bitcoiners as high-quality, savvy, price-conscious customers with strong purchasing power.
— Privacy-first approach: Lolli collects minimal data, does not sell customer information, and tracks only shopping behavior at partner merchants to deliver rewards.
— Long-term vision centers on building consumer Bitcoin wallets and merchant liquidity, with Lightning and stablecoins playing roles once Bitcoin stabilizes as a payment currency.
Market & price signals
— Bitcoin ranged from ~$3,700 at Lolli's launch to just over $10K at time of recording (early 2021). Adelman noted the company has never experienced a true bull market during its existence, positioning Lolli as ready for significant adoption acceleration. He anticipated inevitable recession and Fed money printing would drive interest in Bitcoin as a store of value, positioning rewards platforms as "recession-proof" (similar to historical coupon/cashback dynamics).
Actionable insights
— Use Lolli when making planned purchases (particularly travel bookings, groceries, pet supplies, fashion) to earn Bitcoin rewards without changing spending behavior—treat it as a low-friction onramp for Bitcoin-curious friends and family.
— View Bitcoin rewards as psychologically more powerful than fiat cashback for long-term wealth building; the majority of Lolli users hold rather than sell, treating earnings as an investment.
— Monitor emerging Bitcoin payment infrastructure (Lightning, stablecoins, remittance networks) as prerequisites for merchant acceptance; current adoption is demand-limited, not technology-limited.
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