Supporting Tourism Merchants, Xepeng Prepares Infrastructure for Converting Digital Assets to Rupiah

The government faces a policy dilemma with no truly comfortable option. Xepeng is introducing infrastructure to convert digital assets to Rupiah to assist tourism business operators. This responds to the changing behaviour of global tourists who are increasingly digital. The solution is aimed at local merchants so they can receive transaction values from tourists based on digital assets, without having to change their daily operational systems, while still complying with regulations on the use of the Rupiah currency. Xepeng CEO, Penke Pancapuri, revealed yesterday that the initial stage of digital asset to Rupiah conversion is being introduced in Bali. Bali was chosen because the island’s tourism industry is now facing a shift in tourist characteristics, especially from digital nomads, millennials, and Generation Z. This segment is known to be more familiar with technology and tends to use digital assets in their travel activities, including transactions. “As a world-class tourist destination, Bali continues to attract tourists with high digital preferences. However, on the other hand, most local business operators still rely on conventional payment methods. This condition is seen as potentially limiting merchants’ opportunities to capture economic value from these modern tourists,” he explained in his statement on Wednesday (8/4). According to Penke, Xepeng is present to bridge this gap through a system that allows merchants to still receive payments in the form of Rupiah, even though the transaction source comes from digital assets. One of the advantages offered by Xepeng lies in the behind-the-scenes conversion mechanism. Merchants do not need to understand the technicalities of managing digital assets or make adjustments to their existing accounting systems. “Through this infrastructure, transaction results will be directly converted to Rupiah and entered into the merchant’s bank account. Thus, funds can immediately be used for various operational needs, such as paying employees, managing businesses, and reinvesting in the business,” he elaborated. This approach, Penke said, provides flexibility for business operators to remain focused on improving services and product development, without being burdened by the complexity of new technology. “The solution developed starts from the real needs of tourism business operators, especially in Bali. The current generation of tourists brings great opportunities for Bali, but local business operators also need simple and secure solutions. Xepeng is built so that merchants can welcome this digital trend calmly, without adding operational burdens,” he clarified. That statement, Penke continued, emphasises that the main focus of this platform is to provide ease as well as a sense of security for merchants in facing the digital transformation in the tourism sector. BOOSTING COMPETITIVENESS “Along with the increasing trend of digital tourists, the presence of infrastructure like Xepeng is seen as a supporting factor in maintaining Bali’s competitiveness in the global market. The ability of merchants to accept various forms of transaction values becomes key to remaining relevant amid changes in the tourism ecosystem,” he stressed. On the other hand, Penke said, the conversion system that directly turns digital assets into Rupiah also contributes to economic circulation at the local level. Funds received by merchants can immediately be used for business operations, workforce payments, and business development, without technical obstacles. Xepeng itself is a Bali-based platform that provides digital asset to Rupiah conversion infrastructure for local business operators. Through an approach designed to remain compliant with regulations, this platform supports merchants in receiving transaction values from international tourists without having to interact directly with those digital assets. To support transparency and access to information, Xepeng provides an official channel that can be accessed by business operators who want to learn more about the system and services offered.