I've leveled up! [From crypto ignoramus to finally buying my first Bitcoin and Steem](https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@heroic15397/from-crypto-ignoramus-to-finally-buying-my-first-bitcoin-and-steem), and now to selling my Bitcoin for Canadian dollar I can use for everyday purchases. The circle is complete: I have in and out access to Bitcoin which itself is the entry point to everything crypto. It goes without saying that it brings extra **Steem On** motivation!

# Buying with Instacoin

To my fellow Quebec & Ontario Steemians: have you heard of [Instacoin](https://www.instacoinatm.com/index-en.html)? They're a Bitcoin ATM operator. At the moment I'm writing these lines, you'll find them at forty-four different locations within the two provinces. You can buy Bitcoin at all forty-four vending machines, but you can only sell yours at ten of those places. And I'm lucky enough to have many of those buying and/or selling points in my local Montreal/Laval area.

Last month, I decided to [buy](https://www.instacoinatm.com/how.html) twenty bucks worth of Bitcoin for a test. I printed my Exodus wallet QR code on a piece of paper, scan the code at the machine, put the cash in, et voilà! $20 CAD worth of Bitcoin was added to my wallet.

Selling BTC is a bit more complicated. First off, I didn't have a smart phone in my possession. For a long time I've had all kinds of electronic devices one can imagine, but I hadn't a cell phone. Everywhere I go, there is always a telephone near, so why bother paying to own one? Plus, Canada is reputed for being one of the most (if not **the most**) costly countries,  from where to adhere to a cellular plan.

# Bits of Gold Mycelium Wallet

But my situation changed last week. I've got my hands on an old LG Optimus One. Problem is, with this antiquity, is that it came with 2.2.1 Android version. Thus, my wallet application choice was limited to a single app: [Bits of Gold Mycelium](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=il.co.bitsofgold.wallet&hl=en). I tried putting money in & out of it, from & to my main wallet, and it worked. It may not be the most visually compelling and options riddled one but so far, it does the job.

# Coinbase

Later, I upgraded to Android Gingerbread 2.3 and found it was possible to download Coinbase, but still, I kept wanting to use the dated app because I once had a bad experience with this newly presented possibility. Without going into all the details, let's just say I tried submitting a picture of my passport a dozen of times in the past, and never was I able to authenticate to the web site's satisfaction.

Being already uncomfortable with loading such personal information toward perfect strangers, imagine my now renewed and doubled reluctance to share with them vital information when I learned that the [American government sought Coinbase to turn over customer account data](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2017/03/20/irs-tries-again-to-make-coinbase-turn-over-customer-account-data/#6bd89fcb175e). I envisioned worst case scenarios, such as a copy of my passport being miraculously found intact by the authorities in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in the case of state sponsored false flag terrorism happening on the Red Planet. Anyway, you get the hyperbolic imagery. That goes to show how I wouldn't trust a foreign agency one bit with handling my identity. I guess that is the double-edged sword of trusting/untrusting with cryptocurrencies exchanges. You've got to find the right balance, but I'm digressing big time here.

# Selling with Instacoin

What matters, is that I went to one of the two ways devices, equipped with the phone's app containing a bit more than forty dollars worth of Satoshis, and I tried changing the virtual into physical. The steps to [sell](https://www.instacoinatm.com/how-to-sell-bitcoin.html) were as follow:

- Press Sell and choose the amount (per $20) I wish to withdraw
- Enter my mobile phone number
- Use the Securtiy Code I've received by text message
- Send coins by scanning the QR code on the ATM
- Wait for confirmation (it took less than half an hour)
- Go back to the machine, press Redeem, enter my phone number & use the new code 
- Get hold of my money

![Photo 002.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmX2eC1VAbehQtTBCgJMzKcuUtHHZRSY7BVgHUrPR1BfcY/Photo%20002.jpg)

Except from what I had read on the Internet, I had no idea how it would go, so I was filled with doubt when I witnessed what looked like the app being frozen when transferring. Not to mention my attention drifted away from the vendor machine for a time and I didn't notice it had asked me if I had already sent the funds or not. It resulted in not being quick enough to answer before the instacoin reverted back to its default menu. Shit! There was not a single word about this question on their web site!

So I quitted not knowing if I would lose the cash or when I would be alerted to come back. On my way to the mall to kill some time, I received the text I was waiting for. Hoorah! When I got back to finalize the transaction, it went smoothly.

# Poloniex

I'll end this on an unrelated note. One to confirm what I've been hearing on Steemit about [people not being able to withdraw from Poloniex](http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/06/24/users-cant-withdraw-funds-poloniex/). Fortunately for me, all I had left on there was a really tiny amount of BTC. Perfect for testing the alleged stagnant waters. Look for yourselves at the result:

![Poloniex.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYhUuZbounkS9zyuydMFFANHh4f4Eyqa6bBY2K5DYa2WK/Poloniex.JPG)

The pocket change transmitted is no more on my Poloniex account and has not arrived at the outer destination. Poof! Be careful of the aloof!

# What about you?

What is your experience with the exchange or when withdrawing your cryptos in general? Care to share?