The Bitcoin Matrix
Alex Adelman: How to Earn & Get Bitcoin Back with Lolli.com
- 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.