I wondered how crypto could change my daily life. Then I bought real estate on the blockchain.

The transaction took less than ten minutes

I own a house fifteen minutes away from my primary residence. I’m a landlord. One of several landlords, to be exact.

What’s more—the whole process took less than ten minutes, and I completed the purchase on a Wednesday morning while I drank my morning coffee. No banks, real estate agents, or open houses required.

I only needed my debit card and the willingness to take a leap. How did I do it?

I used the blockchain.

Lofty.AI is a property investment startup that uses blockchain technology to tokenize investments. In so doing, they create a type of fractional real estate they resell on the open market. Currently, they manage a handful of properties in Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri, and a few other states. Lofty acts as the property manager, collecting rents and doing repairs. Investors buy shares and receive a comparable portion of rent based on their percentage of ownership. They also participate in governance, and weigh in on specifics about the property, such as rental rates and market conditions.

Currently, Lofty uses the Algorand blockchain to power their startup and facilitate the transactions ( Full disclosure—I hold ALGO cryptocurrency and am an Algorand governor).

The shares I bought are for a property in a neighborhood a short distance from me, and in a section of town that I’ve had my eye on for a while. When I realized that Lofty also saw value in that part of Cincinnati too, the investment opportunity piqued my interest.

So the other day, I leapt.

I selected a few of of the over 3,000 tokens, typed in my debit card, and hit purchase. The tokens landed in my Algorand wallet within sixty seconds, and when I checked my email, a confirmation message solidified my purchase. Before I knew it, it was done.

Simple. Smooth. Secure.

I didn’t take long to see the ROI either. Within a day, my account began to show a balance that reflected my share of the monthly rental income. That account grows each day. When I’m ready, I can withdraw that money into my bank or PayPal accounts. If I ever want to sell my position, all I have to do is contact Lofty.

Last Wednesday was the first time that crypto affected my daily life in a way I could directly feel. While I’ve invested in the sector for a bit, but I’ve never used the blockchain or the tokens to make a daily purchase. Instead, I’ve just traded and hodled (held-on-for-dear-life) various coins.

Not anymore. Now I’m a landlord. Sounds pretty good to me.

The Crypto Connection is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be financial advice. Please do your own research before investing in any asset class. Sara Celi is not a financial advisor. To purchase her books on Amazon, please click here.