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From Holding Crypto to Living With It: How Vitor Used COCA to Power His New Life in Europe
- May 26
- 6 min read
Moving to a new country changes more than just your address. For Vitor, it changed the way he thought about money.
Crypto was already part of his life – something he believed in, used, and kept learning about. But after moving from Brazil to Ireland, one question kept coming up: Сan I actually use my crypto day to day?
That search led him to COCA. Here’s what he told us 👇
Q: Hi Vitor! Let’s start with you. Tell us a bit about yourself.
A: Hi! My name is Vitor Figueira, I’m 28 years old, originally from Brazil, and currently based in Ireland.
I’m a Food Engineer with a background in quality control, biotechnology, food innovation, and laboratory analysis. I recently moved to Europe to continue building an international career and explore new opportunities.
Outside of work, I’m into fitness, nutrition, travel, technology, and DeFi. I spend a lot of time training, learning about crypto strategies, and exploring new places around Europe.
Interviewer: Sounds like crypto was already part of your everyday life before COCA.
A: Yes, definitely. Before COCA, I was already very familiar with crypto and actively involved in the ecosystem. Crypto has been part of my everyday life for quite some time, especially Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
I’m very interested in long-term investing, DeFi, lending protocols, stablecoins, and finding practical ways to use crypto beyond just holding assets.
The idea of using crypto like regular money was something I was already looking for, because I truly believe digital assets will become increasingly integrated into daily life.
Interviewer: That’s the gap many crypto users still face: crypto can be part of your portfolio, but not always part of your daily routine. Was that the problem COCA solved for you?
A: Exactly.
A lot of people in crypto are comfortable investing, holding assets, and using DeFi, but when it comes to everyday payments, they still go back to traditional banks.
For me, COCA helped close that gap. It made crypto feel practical, seamless, and natural in daily life, without the usual friction, fees, or complexity.
Q: Had you tried other crypto cards or payment solutions before COCA?
A: Yes, I had explored a few crypto cards and payment solutions, mainly through exchanges and fintech platforms.
But my experience was often limited by high fees, poor user experience, lack of flexibility, or restrictions depending on the country.
What attracted me to COCA was the smoother integration between crypto and everyday spending. It made the experience feel much more practical and natural compared to other solutions I had tried before.
Q: How did you first discover COCA?
A: I first discovered COCA through a friend who travels often. He kept mentioning how he was using his crypto like cash abroad.
I saved the link out of curiosity, and later, when I needed a simple way to use my funds while traveling, I decided to finally give it a try.
Q: That sounds like a very COCA-style discovery: one friend travels, uses crypto like cash, and suddenly everyone wants to know what card that is.
A: Yes, exactly. And over time, especially by being active in the COCA community, I became much more confident in the product and the ecosystem around it.
That naturally made me start recommending it whenever I had the chance.
Q: So you became “that friend” too?
A: Yes, definitely 😅
Q: What made you start using COCA seriously?
A: I started using COCA because I needed a reliable, fee-friendly way to spend money while traveling back to my home country, Brazil.
Traditional banks and other crypto cards always came with hidden fees, slow transfers, or complicated setups.
Before COCA, I mainly used Wise for payments and currency conversion while traveling or sending money abroad. It worked reasonably well for international spending, but it didn’t really offer any benefits or advantages beyond basic conversions.
Interviewer: And your situation is very international now: Brazil, Ireland, Europe, travel, crypto, different currencies…
A: Yes, exactly.
More recently, Brazil increased taxes on international currency conversions and financial operations, which made traditional solutions much less attractive and less viable for frequent use.
That’s one of the reasons why I became even more interested in crypto-based alternatives. They offer more flexibility, better global usability, and in many cases, a more efficient way to manage money internationally.
Q: That makes sense. Let’s talk about your most memorable COCA moment. What was it?
A: My most memorable moment was during a trip back to Brazil.
I had been planning to buy a new iPhone and MacBook for months, but kept delaying the decision. When I saw the COCA cashback and realized how seamless the payment would be, it gave me the final push.
I paid with my COCA card, the transaction went through instantly, and when the cashback landed, it felt like a reward for making a smart choice.
That was the moment I thought: this is exactly why I use COCA 🤩
Q: That’s amazing! Also, that’s a big purchase, was it just a tech upgrade, or was there something more behind it?
A: It was definitely connected to both personal and professional goals.
Since I moved abroad and started building my life and career internationally, having reliable devices has become essential for my work, studies, content creation, travel organization, and managing my investments and crypto activities.
It also felt like a personal milestone – a way of rewarding myself after a long period of planning, saving, and adapting to a new life in Europe.
Interviewer: That makes the purchase feel much more meaningful. Not just “I bought Apple devices,” but “I invested in the tools for my new life.”
A: Exactly.
Q: Was this your biggest COCA purchase so far?
A: Yes, definitely. It was around $2,500 in total: about $1,000 for the iPhone and $1,500 for the MacBook.
And the cashback made it even better. I received $125 from COCA, plus another $50 from Curve. By stacking both, I reached around 7% total cashback on the Apple purchase.
For such a big expense, that made a real difference. It showed me how powerful it can be to combine smart financial tools and crypto-friendly products in everyday life.
Q: That’s an awesome reward. Did you compare what the same purchase would have looked like with a traditional bank card?
A: Yes, I did.
Besides the usual international transaction fees and currency conversion costs, Brazilian banks have become much less attractive recently due to increased taxes on foreign purchases and conversions.
With COCA, the process felt much smoother, more transparent, and ultimately much more rewarding financially.
Q: How much cashback have you earned with COCA overall?
A: I started collecting cashback with COCA last September, and so far I’ve earned more than €500 in cashback already.
Interviewer: Wow, that’s a hefty amount. More than €500 is not just a symbolic amount. That’s real value earned from purchases you were already making anyway.
A: Yes. That’s what surprised me.
Q: You’re currently on the COCA Premium tier. What would you say to someone who’s considering Premium but isn’t sure if it’s worth it?
A: I’d say it depends on how often you use the card and how much crypto is already part of your daily life.
For me, Premium made sense because I travel, spend in different currencies, and use COCA regularly. The higher cashback and smoother international spending experience quickly made the upgrade feel worth it.
And when you make larger purchases, the difference becomes even more noticeable. Combining Premium benefits with Curve on my Apple purchase made a real impact.
Beyond the numbers, Premium made COCA feel less like just another payment card and more like part of my financial routine.
Q: That’s lovely to hear. How would you describe COCA to someone who has crypto but rarely spends it?
A: I would describe COCA as the bridge between holding crypto and actually living with it.
A lot of people in crypto are comfortable investing and holding assets, but still switch back to traditional banks for everyday spending.
COCA made crypto feel less like something I only manage, and more like something I can actually use.
Q: That phrase – “the bridge between holding crypto and actually living with it” – really sums up your story.
A: Yes, that’s exactly how I see it.
Interviewer: I have just a couple of quick questions to finish.
Q: How would you complete this sentence: “The best part wasn’t just the cashback, it was…”
A: The feeling that my crypto was finally becoming useful in real life, in a smooth and rewarding way.
Q: Well said. And one final question: if you had to describe COCA in one word, what would it be?
A: Freedom.
Interviewer: Love that! Thank you, Vitor – from all of us at COCA, we really appreciate you sharing your story with us!
Vitor’s experience captures what COCA is really about: making crypto feel less like a future promise and more like something you can use today, easily and wherever life takes you 🌍
Want to be featured next?
If you use COCA and would like to share how it fits into your everyday life, we’d love to hear from you. Just fill out the short form via this link, and our team will get in touch with you.
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