Where is the blockchain capital of the US?
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Several US states are working to become the blockchain and cryptocurrency capital of the country by passing crypto-friendly legislation. Wyoming has passed several bills defining cryptocurrencies as assets and exempting certain tokens from securities laws. This is aimed at attracting blockchain companies to the state. Tennessee is also pursuing pro-crypto policies like legally recognizing cryptocurrency payments. Delaware was an early leader but its blockchain director recently stepped down, though the state still plans to advance its goals in this area.
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Giancarlo in his concluding statements on the
promise of blockchain for the financial services
sector. In his remarks on policy considerations
for the CFTC, Giancarlo referenced a Clinton-era
regulatory position toward regulating the Internet:
do no harm. Although Giancarlo said he “[believes]
that ‘do no harm’ is the right overarching approach
for distributed ledger technology,” it doesn’t
necessarily imply a laissez faire, totally hands-off
strategy.
Clayton’s closing remarks echoed Giancarlo’s.
He said “we should embrace the pursuit of
technological advancement, as well as new and
innovative techniques for capital raising, but not
at the expense of the principles undermining our
well-founded and proven approach to protecting
investors and markets.”
Chairing the session, Michigan Republican Rep.
Bill Huizenga took a more positive view. He said
Congress is not going to sit “idly” by if more investor
protection is needed for cryptocurrency purchasers.
At the same time, he praised initial coin offerings
for giving investors opportunities to diversify their
holdings in cryptocurrencies.
U.S. states with positive attitudes have advanced
towards bitcoin legalization – a process that a
growing number of elected officials consider
inevitable, if not desirable. Numerous crypto-
friendly bills have been introduced, and some
of them have received approval in committees
and houses of state legislatures. One wouldn’t
necessarily think of states like Arizona, Tennessee,
and Wyoming as the backbone of a great nation’s
economy. How about… pioneers of its future
development?
WYOMING
Wyoming is a state of rugged individualists that
seems to have a penchant for being “first” on
matters of no small importance3
. Also dubbed the
“Equality State,” Wyoming was the first state to grant
women the right to vote and the first state to elect
a female governor. As to business matters, it was
the creator of the concept of a Limited Liability
Company (“LLC”) back in 1977, and today, nearly
two-thirds of businesses formed in the United States
choose the LLC format. What’s next? Blockchain.
Yes, the exciting new technology with seemingly
unlimited use cases, and the underpinning of
cryptocurrencies, is now on Wyoming’s radar
screen in a very big way.
February has seen the introduction and passage
of some very important bills in Wyoming 64th
legislature—legislation that is attracting blockchain
and crypto enthusiasts from around the world.
Rumor has it that there is a land rush of sorts,
manifested in the pursuit of office space.
A Wyoming native and former Wall Streeter,
Caitlin Long, has been one of the champions of
the Wyoming initiative and is a co-founder of the
Wyoming Blockchain Coalition. She is amazed by
the response of an array of parties interested in
Wyoming – not just among start-up U.S. companies
3 http://www.newsweek.com/wyoming-cowboy-state-poised-
today-become-blockchain-valley-828124
Blockchain for
Government
What is the
problem?
Difficulties in communication of the state
and its citizens and opacity of this process
provides ground for giant industries of
middlemen to thrive: assistance in LLC
establishment, traffic police document
services etc. This signifies inefficient state
apparatus and its “parasites”.
The more middlemen out there – the more
expensive and complicated the service is.
Governmental institutional structures are
fragmented, which makes data exchange
between departments and authorities a
very difficult process.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/crypto-friendlystatesus-180407085614/85/Where-is-the-blockchain-capital-of-the-US-3-320.jpg)
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decide the fate of cryptocurrencies in the country30
.
Bank Negara governor Muhammad Ibrahim is
said to have assured the bank will neither ban nor
recognize cryptocurrency. “Basically, we will let
the cryptocurrency promoters including bitcoin,
ethereum and ripple to be more transparent, the
methods to be more transparent and people behind
the scene are to be more transparent too. By doing
so, the public can decide on its own if they want to
invest in cryptocurrencies.’’
Malaysia in recent years has been an economic
tiger, its economy growing faster than more
powerful regional cousins South Korea, and even
outpacing France and Australia. Its government is
unusually paternalistic with regard to the economy,
however, though less so as it has developed.
Politically it occupies an odd space in Southeast
Asia as a federal constitutional elective monarchy.
Something akin to the Westminster system, the king
is chosen in rotation by hereditary families, and he
acts as ceremonial head of state, appointing upper
parliament house members and ministers.
Mr. Ibrahim’s comments follow Finance Minister
II Johari Abdul Ghani who explained the country
wouldn’t ban cryptocurrency completely so as to
avoid curbing “creativity and innovation in [the]
financial sector”.
Back in December of last year, the central bank
put together crypto regulatory guidelines for both
citizens and businesses in the country. Malaysia’s
30 https://news.bitcoin.com/malaysia-central-bank-let-public-
decide-cryptos-fate/
new Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing
of Terrorism (AML/CFT) policy guidelines specifically
addressing cryptocurrencies came into effect31
. The
new regulations compel Malaysian virtual currency
exchanges to mandate KYC adherence, including
the collection of ID documentation. The policy
document states that Malaysian cryptocurrency
exchanges “are required to conduct customer
due diligence on all customers and the persons
conducting the transaction when the reporting
institution establishes business relationship with
customer and when the reporting institutions have
any suspicion of money laundering or terrorism
financing.” The regulations mandate that Malaysian
virtual currency exchanges collect the full name,
address, and date of birth of all customers, in
addition to ID documentation. As such, the
bank stated that “digital currency businesses are
not covered by prudential and market conduct
standards […] applicable to financial institutions
regulated by” Bank Negara Malaysia.
BAHRAIN
The Government of Bahrain is showing keen
interest in cryptocurrencies (digital assets) like many
of the other nations in the Middle East32
. As a part
of its latest Fintech Bay initiative, Bahrain is willing
to facilitate fintech companies from all around
the world and provide them with world-class
31 https://news.bitcoin.com/new-malaysian-cryptocurrency-
regulation-come-into-effect/
32 https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/310129
Blockchain for
Government
Implementation of
non-cash payments,
emission of electronic
money
Worldwide experience
Solution #11
There is a lot of small talk about innovations, fintech
and blockchain – but just take a look at how efficiently
Sweden fights with cash! Government has simply started to
prohibit usage of cash, pushing fintech-startups for
further development.
Decrease of cash in circulation and gradual
transition from real to digital money emission.
The result: no conversion commissions, no
underground economy and hidden oligarch
money. Decrease in domestic crime, related
to theft and robbery.
Total transparency on the level of banking
system – transparency in deposited assets,
lack of holes and deceived depositors.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/crypto-friendlystatesus-180407085614/85/Where-is-the-blockchain-capital-of-the-US-18-320.jpg)
Where is the blockchain capital of the US?
- 1. www.ariv.al WHERE IS THE CRYPTO BLOCKCHAIN CAPITAL OF THE US? CRYPTO-FRIENDLY STATES OF AMERICA
- 2. Blockchain for Government Is future something that happens to you, or something that you make happen? By 2023, blockchain technology will be actively exploited in the field of governmental services by leading world Powers. According to OECD’s prognosis, 10% of world’s GDP will be created with direct use of blockchain technology. According to the survey of The World Economic Forum’s participants 02 THESE US STATES ARE RACING TO BECOME THE COUNTRY’S CRYPTO CAPITAL As cryptocurrency becomes more and more viable, states like Wyoming, California, Delaware, Tennessee and Arizona are racing to pass cryptocurrency-friendly legislation in an effort to become the blockchain capital of the country. The news out of Wyoming, Tennessee and Arizona comes after other states have already taken positive measures in relation to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Kansas and New Hampshire are two other states that have passed legislation1 with crypto-related exempts in their money transmitter regulations. Authorities in Nevada have promised to create favorable conditions for startups working with blockchain technologies. Most other states have yet to adopt their regulatory framework. A joint appearance of leaders from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) before a meeting of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee2 had just one 1 https://news.bitcoin.com/several-states-spearhead-bitcoin- adoption-in-the-u-s/ 2 https://news.crunchbase.com/news/us-regulators-say-no- harm-blockchain-tech/ topic on the docket: cryptocurrencies and the U.S.’s role in the market’s regulation. Rather than calling for a crackdown on crypto trading and ICOs, the tenor of the high-profile meeting was generally pro-innovation while encouraging a measured but deliberate approach to regulating the emerging sector of blockchain technology. SEC chairperson Jay Clayton and Christopher Giancarlo of the CFTC spent most of their time discussing the challenges of regulating the burgeoning cryptocurrency market and reiterating the need for oversight, while also pointing to the potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT) to streamline the more traditional side of the financial sector. Giancarlo’s testimony primarily covered the inter- agency coordination between the CFTC, IRS, SEC, the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and international regulatory partners. Giancarlo asserted in his testimony that distributed ledger technology, such as bitcoin’s blockchain, has real-world utility outside of trading and speculation. In his statements, he cited a report claiming that DLT could save mainstream financial institutions as much as $20 billion in annual infrastructure and operational costs. He cited another report suggesting that “blockchain could cut trading settlement costs by a third, or $16 billion a year, and cut capital requirements by $120 billion.” “Moving from systems-of-record at the level of a firm to an authoritative system-of-record at the level of a market is an enormous opportunity to improve existing market infrastructure,” said
- 3. 03 Giancarlo in his concluding statements on the promise of blockchain for the financial services sector. In his remarks on policy considerations for the CFTC, Giancarlo referenced a Clinton-era regulatory position toward regulating the Internet: do no harm. Although Giancarlo said he “[believes] that ‘do no harm’ is the right overarching approach for distributed ledger technology,” it doesn’t necessarily imply a laissez faire, totally hands-off strategy. Clayton’s closing remarks echoed Giancarlo’s. He said “we should embrace the pursuit of technological advancement, as well as new and innovative techniques for capital raising, but not at the expense of the principles undermining our well-founded and proven approach to protecting investors and markets.” Chairing the session, Michigan Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga took a more positive view. He said Congress is not going to sit “idly” by if more investor protection is needed for cryptocurrency purchasers. At the same time, he praised initial coin offerings for giving investors opportunities to diversify their holdings in cryptocurrencies. U.S. states with positive attitudes have advanced towards bitcoin legalization – a process that a growing number of elected officials consider inevitable, if not desirable. Numerous crypto- friendly bills have been introduced, and some of them have received approval in committees and houses of state legislatures. One wouldn’t necessarily think of states like Arizona, Tennessee, and Wyoming as the backbone of a great nation’s economy. How about… pioneers of its future development? WYOMING Wyoming is a state of rugged individualists that seems to have a penchant for being “first” on matters of no small importance3 . Also dubbed the “Equality State,” Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote and the first state to elect a female governor. As to business matters, it was the creator of the concept of a Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) back in 1977, and today, nearly two-thirds of businesses formed in the United States choose the LLC format. What’s next? Blockchain. Yes, the exciting new technology with seemingly unlimited use cases, and the underpinning of cryptocurrencies, is now on Wyoming’s radar screen in a very big way. February has seen the introduction and passage of some very important bills in Wyoming 64th legislature—legislation that is attracting blockchain and crypto enthusiasts from around the world. Rumor has it that there is a land rush of sorts, manifested in the pursuit of office space. A Wyoming native and former Wall Streeter, Caitlin Long, has been one of the champions of the Wyoming initiative and is a co-founder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition. She is amazed by the response of an array of parties interested in Wyoming – not just among start-up U.S. companies 3 http://www.newsweek.com/wyoming-cowboy-state-poised- today-become-blockchain-valley-828124 Blockchain for Government What is the problem? Difficulties in communication of the state and its citizens and opacity of this process provides ground for giant industries of middlemen to thrive: assistance in LLC establishment, traffic police document services etc. This signifies inefficient state apparatus and its “parasites”. The more middlemen out there – the more expensive and complicated the service is. Governmental institutional structures are fragmented, which makes data exchange between departments and authorities a very difficult process.
- 4. Blockchain for Government Solution #1 Unified digital ID Passports, visas and other documents. Unified digital IDs (like the ones they have in India): no need to fill in forms multiple times and wait for weeks before the documents are ready. And, of course, no need to bribe officials to accelerate the process or get fake documents. Significant decrease in “parasites”: useless middlemen like officials, passport office and Pension Fund workers… 04 but established European and Canadian companies with eyes on Wyoming. Andrea Tinianow, the former director of the Delaware Blockchain Initiative who is still very active in the sector as an advisor and consultant, described the adoption of blockchain technology by jurisdictions as “a relay race, not a sprint. Delaware was first to address it, now Wyoming has taken the baton.” She added that “people are looking for movement…integration…innovation” and clearly we are seeing it. She was confident that Delaware would be back in the game and that she is supportive of all jurisdictions’ involvement. She describes the adoption as a “win-win-win” for “the states, its citizens, and the business community.” Wyoming is the 10th largest state by land mass in the U.S., yet it is the least populous. With a sweeping and diverse geography, no state income tax, no corporate income or franchise taxes, a mere 4% state sales tax, strict privacy laws, tremendous fiber optic bandwidth and cheap power…who’s to argue that it wouldn’t be a great state to be the “first” to integrate blockchain into its suite of corporate service? While governments worldwide drag their feet and argue over cryptocurrency legislation, various states in the US are vying to become the blockchain capital of the country4 . Eager to keep technological innovation in the state, blockchain enthusiasts and state legislators are looking to make Wyoming the cryptocurrency capital of the US. According to Republican state Rep. Tyler Lindholm, four pieces of legislation up for debate could make Wyoming the place to be for blockchain startups. The Wyoming legislature became the latest state to modify their state laws to challenge the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money5 .Titled the Wyoming Legal Tender Act, the new law defines gold and silver specie as “legal tender,” meaning it will be recognized as a medium of exchange for the payment of debts and taxes in the state. Practically speaking, gold and silver specie will be treated as money, putting it on par with Federal Reserve notes in Wyoming. The Senate passed HB103 with some technical amendments by a 25-5 vote. The House previously passed HB103 by a 44-14 vote. The bill became law without Gov. Matt Mead’s signature. It will go into effect July 1, 2018. At the same time, Wyoming became the first state in the nation to explicitly recognize cryptocurrency as a new asset class6 . As Rachel Wolfson of Forbes 4 https://bitcoinist.com/wyoming-bitcoin-industry-blockchain- friendly-bills/ 5 https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-02/wyoming- challenging-fed-can-it-become-americas-crypto-valley 6 https://www.coindesk.com/wyoming-utility-token-bill-heads- governor-approval/
- 5. 05 reported: The Utility Token bill was designed to exempt specific cryptocurrencies from state money transmission laws and is the first of its kind to legally define the way in which specific types of crypto tokens are treated by regulatory bodies. The bill excludes “developers or sellers” of tokens from securities laws under the caveat that they meet certain conditions. In order to meet these requirements, the token must not be offered as an investment and must be a vehicle for exchange as a utility token. The state of Wyoming is the first elected body in the world to define a utility token as a new type of asset class different from a security or commodity,” Caitlin Long, co-founder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition, told. “This has been a hot topic in Washington D.C. recently, as the SEC considers cryptocurrencies to be securities, FinCEN says they’re generally money, and the CFTC views them as commodities. Now, however, you have a state coming out and defining utility tokens as a new form of property, and property is generally the purview of state law. Long and the other members of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition view the passing of House Bill 70 to be especially groundbreaking as this could be the first step to getting the U.S. congress to clarify how cryptocurrencies should be regulated. This could be very positive for the cryptocurrency community if Congress can break the tie and clarify everything. It’s very exciting that Wyoming is the first state to define what a utility token is, setting an example of how this could become a standard under federal law. According to Long, “Dozens of small software companies have already formed Wyoming entities and some of these have already leased office space – 20,000 square feet and counting.” DELAWARE The founding director of the Delaware Blockchain Initiative has left the project7 . Andrea Tinianow announced the move in a Jan. 2 post on LinkedIn, and confirmed to CoinDesk that she had left the government-backed initiative on Dec. 31. Tinianow added that she has already started in her new role as the chief innovation officer for Global Kompass, a Delaware-based management consultancy firm. Her departure is notable given Tinianow’s previous involvement in launching the Delaware Blockchain Initiative. That work led to the passage of a new law in Delaware clearing the way for corporations in the state to issue and store shares by way of a distributed ledger. The legislation was signed into law by Delaware lawmakers last July, a move that came more than a year after former Delaware Governor Jack Markell announced an ambitious blockchain roadmap for the state in May 2016. Tinianow said8 the legislation also enables the state to have a regulatory framework to create its own blockchain-based services. “Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Tinianow said in her LinkedIn post. “I expect we will see much more from Delaware in the blockchain space.” 7 https://www.coindesk.com/delaware-states-blockchain- lead-is-leaving/ 8 https://statescoop.com//delaware-blockchain-director- resigns-but-the-states-work-will-continue Blockchain for Government Unified digital ID Algorithms of user recognition according to personal gadgets connected with the system. This enables to achieve maximum level of integrity and operational compatibility within any infrastructure. There is a number of projects worldwide that cover the field of verification of authenticity and reaffirmation of access rights: 2WAY.IO, ShoCard, Guardtime, BlockVerify, HYPR, Onename, BAASIS ID, Civic. Registration and confirmation of personal data. Blockchain-based identification management. The solution to citizens’ personal data theft issue. Integration with fingerprint scanners, voice and iris recognition and other personal biometric devices. In 2016, UAE hereditary prince has approved state strategy for total conversion of state document management to blockchain protocol by 2020. Austrian company Neocapita has announced establishment of decentralized platform based on private fully-permissioned blockchain Stoneblock, aimed at solving the costliest problem of electronic government – creation of registries. Neocapita is negotiating implementation of Stoneblock platform in Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. Swiss startup Procivis in collaboration with electronic government experts from Estonia has announced the launch of blockchain-based “app store” for electronic government by the end of 2017. Worldwide experience
- 6. 06 Delaware will need continued leadership to advance its blockchain goals. The state’s Department of Justice (DOJ) said it still had major concerns with cryptocurrencies that use blockchain and that more regulation is needed. The Delaware DOJ Investor Protection Unit says its chief worries are the volatility of cryptocurrency market values, the chance for fraud, lack of insurance by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and susceptibility to “hacks.” TENNESSEE Cryptocurrency’s quest for legitimacy is set to be aided significantly by the state of Tennessee, which looks to officially accept electronic cryptocurrency payments for financial transactions9 . Though it is currently not illegal to conduct business transactions with Bitcoin in The Volunteer State, Democrat Rep. Jason Powell would like to lead the charge in officially recognizing payments with digital currencies as legal. In a presentation on blockchain technology from Jan. 24th, Powell explained: “We are not just competing with other states in the technology and the space, we’re competing with the world. In making sure that Tennessee has meaningful blockchain legislation, it is really important to say that Tennessee is supportive of this technology and we want to be a leader in this innovation.” From other side, on January 31, 2018, legislators 9 http://bitcoinist.com/states-racing-to-become-blockchain- capital-of-u-s/ in Tennessee published10 a proposal for a bill that would restrict the state government’s public employee retirement funds from engaging in cryptocurrency-related investments. Authored by Tennessee Representative Michael Curcio, a newly proposed bill, HB2093, would modify the state’s code to effectively prohibit trustees from using cryptocurrencies as investment vehicles in state government retirement trusts. The bill’s language may imply a mistrust of volatile cryptocurrency- related investment vehicles, but its inclusion validates cryptocurrencies as a state-recognized “legal investment” – just one that, if the bill is enacted, employee funds will not engage with anytime soon. Also awaiting legislative approval in Tennessee is HB1507, filed on January 10, 2018, which echoes bills introduced in Florida (HB1357) and Nebraska (LB691): all the filings relate to executable distributed code contracts (EDCCs), or smart contracts. HB1507 would make it so that signatures secured through blockchain technology would carry the same weight as an electronic signature. According to the bill, the same can be said of contracts recorded with blockchain technology. In addition, the fact that a contract exists in the form of an EDCCmay not be the sole basis to determine its legal enforceability – essentially lending credence to EDCCs and blockchain technology by incorporating them into state code, even though said code would seek other sources of validation to contracts besides the EDCC alone. 10 https://www.ethnews.com/tennessee-bill-would-ban- cryptocurrency-investments-for-state-retirement-funds Blockchain for Government Solution #2 Control over budget spending. Transparency-as- a-service Every citizen has transparent access to the budget and how it is being spent. Every “dollar” can be seen through the entire chain and clearly where it ends up Citizens can initiate new items of expenditure and their voices count when the decisions are made. If the public service is provided poorly, the smart contract doesn’t work and the payment is withdrawn from vendor International experience in public procurement and auctions: March 9, 2017, “e-Auction 3.0” electronic auctions service was presented on Blockchain&Bitcoin Conference in Tallinn. It provides transparency in conditions, process and results of auctions for state property sales and rent. It has shown that code can help eliminate the issue of subjective decision and sales interventions. Big banks and Microsoft company have helped the project’s development team.
- 7. Blockchain for Government Solution #3 Unified social scoring Connection of all personal documents with credit history bureaus, mobile connection operators, social networks etc. Tracking behavior in online and offline services, encouragement of positive social behavior. 07 ARIZONA Lawmakers in Arizona have proposed a new bill allowing residents to pay their taxes in bitcoin11 . State Rep. Jeff Weninger, a co-sponsor for the bill, which the senate finance committee has already passed, said the measure will send a signal to the U.S. and possibly worldwide that Arizona is a place for blockchain and digital currency. The law would enable the ease of being able to pay taxes in the middle of the night or while at home watching TV, Wininger said. In a few years, he said the issue won’t even be a question. Not all lawmakers support the measure. Arizona State Senate Minority Leader Steve Farley said if the proposal passes, it could put all taxpayers at risk if bitcoin crashes. The state would have to take responsibility for how to exchange the bitcoin. Jack Biltis, who owns Tag Employer Services, an Arizona company that allows employees to be paid in bitcoin and invest part of their 401(k) retirement plans in bitcoin, said a new technology is always a bit scary and thrilling at the beginning, as it was with the Internet. He said the world will look very different in 20 years, and the people who will be successful are those that embrace the technology now and are on the leading edge of the curve. In April 2016, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey 11 https://www.ccn.com/bitcoin-friendly-arizona-moves-to- allow-bitcoin-tax-payments/ signed a bill that Weninger introduced that officially recognizes blockchain signatures and smart contracts. The law requires smart contracts to be upheld and enforced under Arizona law, according to a Digital Currency Executive Brief. The law states that “a record or contract that is secured through blockchain technology is considered to be in an electronic form and to be an electronic record.” The governor also signed a bill into law in April that prohibits the blockchain technology from being used to track firearm information. The law prevents anyone – although law enforcement is exempt under the rule – from using the distributed ledger to track when a firearm has been fired. A bill has also been proposed that would recognize cryptocurrency as currencies and not commodities. CALIFORNIA California has been the latest addition to the list of states that are now actively looking to incorporate blockchain technology into their daily mode of operation12 . California lawmakers have introduced a new Assembly Bill on the 20th of Feb that pushes for the recognition of blockchain contracts, signatures and transactions for all legal purposes. However, the tabled bill still needs to be approved 12 https://cryptoslate.com/california-introduces-bill-legally- recognize-blockchain-records/
- 8. 08 by the state assembly and signed off by Governor Jerry Brown before it can take effect and become operational. The potential law reform is being championed by Ian Calderon — one of the youngest members of the California state assembly. He has been a big proponent of the blockchain for quite some time now and is hoping to legalize the application of this technology for storing digital signatures, which in turn will allow crypto smart-contracts to be used for legal reasons. In the bill tabled by Mr. Calderon, he clearly defines the meaning of digital signatures and how they can be used to facilitate government transactions: “A signature that is secured through blockchain technology is an ‘electronic signature’ and even updated the term ‘contracts’ to smart contracts or self-executing pieces of code that trigger when certain conditions are met like, reaching a particular block number on blockchain.” The bill also expresses clear guidelines and recommendations regarding the securitization of personal data within the blockchain. This will be especially useful for those individuals who like to carry out interstate and international crypto exchanges on a regular basis. The biggest challenge that seems to lay ahead for Crypto within the US is that of educating Congress members about the advantages of such technologies, especially within the administrative domain. According to Brian Forde, a politician running for a congressional seat in California, emerging blockchain services are already available for government use, but due to the “close-mindedness” of many top Senate leaders, the adoption of blockchain has been a bit slow. However, with California getting onboard the crypto train, it is now a matter of time before other states follow suit and work towards integrating blockchain solutions to streamline local administration, and thus make the entire legislative process more transparent and inclusive. Confronted with substantial federal funding reductions, Berkeley, California, is turning to crypto tokens as away to fund services like affordable housing13 . Mayor Jesse Arreguin and councilman Ben Bartlett have teamed up with San-Francisco- based investment startup Neighborly to advance an initiative that would divide municipal bonds into micro-bonds and then sell them as tokens in what they call an “initial community offering14 .” “Essentially, we would like to explore some new ways of financing because we have terrific needs, and we’re concerned about our ability to fulfill our moral and legal obligations for our residents here,” Bartlett said, adding: “The resistance requires a coin.” Bartlett and Arreguin said that breaking up the bonds would allow people to invest in projects of their choosing in low denominations. Meanwhile, transferring the buying and selling process to a blockchain would mean reduced transaction costs and transparent city finances. Because the tokens would be backed by the underlying bond, Bartlett says the initial community offering would be less risky than a typical ICO. Likewise, Neighborly CEO Jase Wilson said, “Berkeley is an extremely strong and fiscally disciplined borrower.” 13 https://www.coindesk.com/us-city-plans-to-sell-tokenized- bonds-in-initial-community-offering/ 14 https://cointelegraph.com/news/initial-country-offering-as- next-big-thing-for-icos-expert-blog Blockchain for Government Worldwide experience China, «system of social trust» (社会信用体系) Xí Jìnpíng has begun his leadership in China with a tough fight against corruption in the Party, and now he aims at changing the society. With help of digital technologies and big data, the system analyzes data about each citizen, giving him individual scores. Technology giants like AlibabaAliPay, Tencent and Baidu has helped him bring this project to life. Project has started in 2014 with adaption of “Program of development of Social Credit System (2014-2020)”: by 2020, not only every company, but every citizen of mainland China will be tracked and evaluated by this system in real time. Trust rating is connected to internal passport. Ratings will be published in a centralized internet database with free access. Citizens with high rating will enjoy various social and economic benefits: cheaper loans, health care and education. Private companies provide discounts. Citizens with low rating are not accepted to various jobs, aren’t given loans, can’t purchase high-speed train and plane tickets, can’t hire a car and a bicycle without bail, are restricted to leave the country. Companies are checked for their activities to follow ecological and juridical norms. Work conditions, workplace safety and financial reporting is being inspected. If there are no issues, the company is assigned high rating and enjoys privileged tax regime, good loan conditions. It can be placed on exchange and gets simplified administrative procedures, an “incomplete set of documents adoption” principle. Every official’s personal data analysis: system compares data about the official and his family members’ incomes with their data of real estate and luxury items purchases. This approach enables to predict official’s behavior and reveal potential corrupters in a much more efficient way.
- 9. Blockchain for Government Solution #4 Services for entrepreneurs Establishments of legal entities, tax reporting, connections between companies and employees (vacations, employment records), contracts (agreements, invoices) among companies (and their enforcement) – everything can be tokenized for automatic record of enforcement, transparent enhancement and elimination of bureaucracy and corruption. Today there is already a number of successful projects for “cloud business” establishment (and they receive a bank account for it along with other financial services: - E-Residence in Estonia (bank account from Holvi 2 or Paywall 3) - “Atlas” product from Stripe 4 (registration of company in USA from any other country + account from SVB + acquiring from Stripe) In 2017, the state of Delaware (USA), presented the initiative to automatize juridical and operational activities of companies in partnership with Symbiont (a startup) and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. The system digitizes the process of company registrations, tracking stocks movement and communication management of stockholders. Registration of companies and document circulation for business: for this purpose, there are such blockchain-services as Otonomos, BoardRoom and Colony. Worldwide experience 09 TEXAS Texas’ securities board issued its fourth emergency cease-and-desist order in just over a month on a cryptocurrency company15 . The orders follow a roughly one-month undercover investigation of cryptocurrency investment programs, said Joseph Rotunda, director of the enforcement division at the Texas State Securities Board. Other states have not yet taken as dramatic steps against cryptocurrency fraud. DavorCoin is violating sections of the Texas Securities Act by offering unregistered securities for sale and misleading the public, Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles said. The Texas State Securities Board previously issued emergency cease-and-desist orders on: Jan. 24 against a Hong Kong-based company selling a r2b coin, “promising investors that the digital currency will soon be one of the world’s most valuable.”; Jan. 4 against BitConnect, which “is soliciting investors for cryptocurrency-based programs that the company claims will deliver annualized returns of 100% or more.”; Dec. 20 against USI-Tech Limited, “an overseas firm that is promising low-risk, triple-digit returns from investments tied to Bitcoin mining.” 15 https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/05/texas-takes-the-lead- on-states-cryptocurrency-crackdowns.html The Texas cease-and-desist orders follow a roughly one-month undercover investigation of cryptocurrency investment programs, said Joseph Rotunda, director of the enforcement division at the Texas State Securities Board. “We confirmed our suspicion that they were being marketed toward retirees,” Rotunda said. “They were not disclosing the information that needs to be disclosed to an investor.” Other states have not yet taken as dramatic steps against cryptocurrency fraud. Florida, North Carolina and Kansas all issued investor alerts on cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings in January, after a similar warning from Massachusetts in December. North Carolina’s Securities Division also issued a temporary cease-and-desist order on BitConnect five days after Texas’ emergency order on the company. Texas appeared ahead of the game in this case as well. In early January, the Texas Department of Banking had issued a cease-and-desist order on AriseBank. Rotunda is also vice chair of the enforcement section committee of the North American Securities Administrators Association. “In both of those roles we’ve been monitoring cryptocurrencies quite a bit,” he said. “I think what we’re doing right now is we’re adapting to a new way of selling securities.”
- 10. Blockchain {$powered; territory’//> Blockchain {$powered; territory’//> Blockchain-powered territory Blockchain-powered territory 10 PUERTO RICO Puerto Rico became part of the United States following the Spanish American War in 1898, with Commonwealth status introduced in 1952. The residents of Puerto Rico are, therefore, citizens of the United States. There is no Central Bank in Puerto Rico, it is the US Federal Reserve Bank which acts as a Central Bank, determining the receivable interest over loans for the banks which are members and regulates Monetary and Credit Policy. Bank deposits in Puerto Rico are guaranteed up to $100,000 USD by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). They are subject to all Federal controls applicable to banks in the United States of America. Commonwealth government supervision of banks is done through the Commissioner of Financial Affairs (Comisionado de Instituciones Financieras). Banks in Puerto Rico are part of the U.S. banking system with a few differences in tax laws. The Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico supervises and regulates the territory’s financial sector to ensure its safety and soundness, as well as to guarantee strict adherence to all applicable laws and regulations. A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York demonstrates16 that the movement of Puerto 16 https://www.puertoricoreport.com/new-york-federal- reserve-bank-calls-puerto-rico-migration-alarming-trend- profound-consequences/ Ricans away from the territory is not merely a consequence of the depression that began just over a decade ago — and is even less due to the current debt crisis — but, instead, is a long-term phenomenon, although the economic decline and debt crisis have exacerbated the migration. The “large outflow of potentially productive workers and taxpayers is an alarming trend that is likely to have profound consequences for the Island for years to come,” concluded the blog post. From 2000 through 2015, net migration away from the islands, which now have a population of about 3.4 million, was 600,000. Together, migration and natural causes have resulted in the population declining 10% from its peak of more than 3.8 million between 2004 and 2015. It is now lower than it was 25 years ago, according to the analyses. (Economic activity is now back down to its 1993 level.) The new analysis also clarified that migration away from Puerto Rico is different from the ‘brain drain’ it is often said to be. Those moving tend to have less skills and earnings than those who remain in the islands. They are also younger than the average Puerto Rican. With lower birth rates, this has significantly increased the average age of residents of the territory — and the natural need for social services. Economic growth in Puerto Rico began to falter in the 1970s. The islands have also been underdeveloped economically compared with the States. In June 2016, Janet Yellen, who heads the
- 11. Blockchain for Government Solution #5 Healthcare and insurance Healthcare plans, medical prescriptions, and drug accounts can be tokenized in a unified registry- accessible to everyone: other doctors insurance companies. With help of blockchain technology, unauthorized change, access and use of citizens’ data becomes impossible, because any information of these actions is recorded in the system. In 2016, Netherlands-based company Prescrypt in collaboration with SNS Bank NV and Deloitte developed a blockchain-based app that makes medical services more accessible for chronic patients. In the first half of 2016, the Estonian government agreed with company, Guardtime to transfer data of more than 1 million state citizens’ medical cards to blockchain database. In 2016, USA-based startup BitHealth began to use blockchain to give their patients additional payment opportunities with their insurance companies Worldwide experience 11 Federal Reserve, told17 a Senate panel that the U.S. central bank would not rescue Puerto Rico if the territory is unable to pay its bills. She said it was unlikely for the Fed to lend money to the Puerto Rican government, or to give money to banks there if they run into trouble. The government of Puerto Rico is more than $70 billion in debt, and has said it is unlikely to be able to pay back creditors in full. Even if the Fed didn’t want to lend money to Puerto Rico, some have suggested that the Fed could buy up Puerto Rican debt in order to drive down interest rates there and potentially allow the territory to borrow more money. Yellen told the Senate that she thought the Fed’s ability to buy municipal debt was very limited. The Fed has bought up trillions of dollars in mortgage and Treasury debt since the financial crisis and the Great Recession. So in theory it seems like it would be possible for the Fed to buy up municipal bonds in the same way. But to do so the Fed would have to make the case that buying up Puerto Rican debt would somehow boost the U.S. economy in general. Yellen didn’t seem to think so. She also didn’t seem to think that a Puerto Rican default would have much impact on the U.S. economy in general. “It’s not a matter for the Fed,” Yellen said. In 2017, less than a week into the massive blackout that followed Hurricane Maria and essentially 17 http://fortune.com/2016/06/21/fed-wont-bailout-puerto- rico/ turned Puerto Rico into a cash-only economy, one top local banker became so concerned about the supply of bills that he called18 the Federal Reserve. William Dudley, the New York Fed president, put the word out within minutes, and ultimately a jet loaded with an undisclosed amount of cash landed on the stricken island, according to Richard Carrion, the Popular Inc. executive chairman who made the call. He and Chief Executive Officer Ignacio Alvarez reflected on the chaotic early days of the crisis. “We thought the cash was going to be a problem,” said Carrion, 64, whose bank is the biggest in Puerto Rico by deposits. “The magnitude of this is something we haven’t experienced.” In Puerto Rico, the survivors of Hurricane Maria are desperately scrambling for many of life’s essentials19 -- food, fuel, water. And cash. Banks are closed or running low on money. Many ATMs are flush out of bills. One reason why? There aren’t enough drivers to ferry cash around in armored cars to standalone ATMs. “We cannot transport cash to the ATM that’s off premise if we don’t have enough security to do it,” says Alvarez. That’s not all. Because of widespread power outages, bank branches are functioning on generators. Banks can’t get security 18 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-09/ fed-s-dudley-sent-puerto-rico-a-cash-filled-jet-as-money-ran- low 19 http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/27/news/economy/puerto- rico-banking-cash/index.html
- 12. 12 software back on line. Bank employees don’t have enough gas for their cars to drive to work. There is no public transportation. The executives described corporate clients’ urgent requests for hundreds of thousands in cash to meet payrolls, and the challenge of finding enough armored cars to satisfy endless demand at ATMs. The blackout also means that this corner of credit-card dependent America is relearning how to function almost entirely in cash. When some generator-powered ATMs finally opened, lines stretched hours long, with people camping out in beach chairs and holding umbrellas against the sun. Puerto Rico has had an awful decade20 — and it’s about to get worse. First came a brutal 10- year recession and financial crisis that drove businesses from this island and left 44 percent of the population impoverished. Then, in September, Hurricane Maria, a powerful Category 4 storm, shredded buildings, wrecked the electrical power grid and possibly led to more than 1,000 deaths. Now Puerto Rico is bracing for another blow: a housing meltdown that could far surpass the worst of the foreclosure crisis that devastated Phoenix, Las Vegas, Southern California and South Florida in the past decade. If the current numbers hold, Puerto Rico is headed for a foreclosure epidemic that could rival what happened in Detroit, where abandoned homes became almost as plentiful as occupied ones. About one-third of the island’s 425,000 homeowners are behind on their 20 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/business/puerto- rico-housing-foreclosures.html mortgage payments to banks and Wall Street firms that previously bought up distressed mortgages. Tens of thousands have not made payments for months. How fintech could help Puerto Rico? Puerto Rico was already struggling21 before the storm. The island has been in a recession for more than a decade, the poverty rate was 45 per cent and unemployment was around 10 per cent, higher than any U.S. state. Manufacturers of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, which are the most important segment of the economy, have been shedding jobs for years. Now everything from multinational companies to small businesses and ranches are scrambling to get enough fuel to run generators while their employees struggle to even get to work. Before the storm, the island’s government was in the midst of bitter negotiations with creditors to restructure a portion of its $73 billion in debt, which the previous governor declared unpayable. Rossello appeared to warn the bondholders that the storm had made things worse. “Puerto Rico practically will have no income for the next month,” he told reporters. Puerto Rico is struggling to get back22 to a sense of normality after Hurricanes Irma and Maria dealt the island a devastating one-two punch. Already grappling with serious economic issues before 21 http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/puerto-rico- hurricane-1.4311560 22 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ forbesfinancecouncil/2017/11/29/fintech-can-help-fast-track- puerto-ricos-recovery/ Blockchain for Government EducationSolution #6 Main characteristics of blockchain – accessibility and consistency of information that enable to implement it into education field. It will help verify factual qualification of school graduates or students. Issuance/ accounting of diplomas, grades and school cards, dissertations, academic degrees in unified tokenized space No unified state examinations – there is a unified database of accumulated and confirmed knowledge and achievements of students. There is no formal approach to education as the necessity to “pass the state exam”, but a transparent reflection of student’s accumulated knowledge. No university entry bribes. If educational institutions register issued graduation diplomas or certificates in blockchain, potential employer won’t have any difficulties checking that you really studied in this university or courses. This data in open access can be used by investors, who are looking for perspective thesis, and universities who need to make a decision for accepting credits for previously studied disciplines, when the student changes the place of living.
- 13. Blockchain for Government Pensions and financial support Solution #7 Current opacity of pensions calculations, dependency on some official’s signature to retire –these are the problems of the past. When a citizen is born, he makes a smart-contract with the society – in the course of his life, he accumulates social capital, and when certain conditions appear (age of incapacity for work, disability, large families), smart contract enters into force automatically. Your accumulated social capital is your stake share from society’s accumulated welfare. This also increases general responsibility – we can only spend as much as we have saved together. Minimum salary and pension is no longer a subjective decision of officials. 13 the hurricanes struck, a debt crisis surpassing $70 billion forced the island to file the largest-ever special U.S. municipal bankruptcy earlier this year under a new Congressional law called PROMESA. Citizens seeking new economic opportunities outside of Puerto Rico has resulted in net negative migration, substantial workforce losses and a shrinking talent pool. What if fintech could be one of the solutions in the island’s path to recovery? Agile, customer-experience-focused financial technology businesses continue to drive innovation, modernization and access to credit in America’s financial services marketplace when banks and other traditional providers can’t meet consumers’ needs. For example, fintech lenders help consumers and small businesses alike find financial products and services that meet their credit needs, whether it’s a short-term loan for an emergency expense or capital to help grow a small business -- even when these applicants have been denied by their banks. No longer the Wild West of several years ago, the fintech landscape has begun to mature and normalize as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) offer more regulatory certainty and federal guidance, which, if done intelligently, can help these businesses thrive. Many analysts expect an influx of capital to follow this newfound stability. The fintech sector is a natural fit for Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurs and for the island’s economic and industrial reawakening. Compared to manufacturing, healthcare or other industries, fintech businesses are relatively easy to start and many can operate anywhere with a stable internet connection and remote server access, making it a promising business venture that will allow remote, geographically isolated entrepreneurs to reach consumers regardless of a lack of physical contact. From a competitive standpoint, Puerto Rico’s Act 20 and Act 22 make the island an attractive place for fintech investment. This initiative allows investors who establish a residence in Puerto Rico a low-tax alternative for doing business. The island’s intent with Acts 20 and 22 is to entice new businesses to locate in Puerto Rico. As a result, San Juan already has a significant banking and investment sector and a promising technology and banking workforce, making Puerto Rico an outstanding choice for fintech startups. The fintech sector is driving innovation in financial services by meeting the changing demands of American consumers and small businesses. Puerto Rico needs a surge of economic development opportunities following Hurricane Maria, and fintech offers the island what it needs now more than ever as the island rebuilds and resurges. Perhaps, the fintech and crypto-community could help Puerto Rico with recovery and talent acquisition, and this land could become crypto- friendly in exchange?
- 14. Blockchain for Government Land cadaster and real estate registry Solution #8 Unified tokenized land cadaster and real estate registry. Instant transparency of rights and change in ownership. No “hidden apartments” of officials and corrupters. No “wait bribe” for housing registries. In developing countries, land ownership rights are still badly documented, that’s why legal owners often can’t sell their property, take loans against collateral and conduct other land-related operations. People suffer from misconduct of related departments’ employees. Developed countries perfect operational processes, reducing time of transaction, which often takes up to several months, reduce the risk of fraud and mistakes in documents and transactions (change in rights ownership). This makes the process and the entire system more reliable. Worldwide experience In the beginning of 2016, Sweden’s State land service has announced its successful collaboration with blockchain-startup ChromaWay, Kairos Future consulting company and Telia mobile services provider. They have developed a solution for buyers and sellers, and results of their work have been tested with participation of third-party banks. In Georgia in the middle of 2016 BitFury company, National agency for public registry of Georgia, and economist Ernando de Soto announced the launch of pilot project for cadaster registration based on blockchain. In the beginning of 2016 in Ghana a project called Bitland based on Graphene platform received official permission from Ghana government to create a land cadaster based on Bitshares blockchain and issued CADASTRAL – basic tokens. With its help, it will be possible to register land ownership rights, solve conflicts, sell and buy land. In 2016, Honduras government in collaboration with Factom company decided to exploit distributed registry for land rights registration, to fight fraud. 14 Dozens of entrepreneurs, made wealthy by blockchain and cryptocurrencies, are heading en masse to Puerto Rico this winter23 . They are selling their homes and cars in California and establishing residency on the Caribbean island. They want to build a crypto utopia, a new city where the money is virtual and the contracts are all public, to show the rest of the world what a crypto future could look like. Blockchain, a digital ledger that forms the basis of virtual currencies, has the potential to reinvent society — and the Puertopians want to prove it. Puerto Rico offers an unparalleled tax incentive: no federal personal income taxes, no capital gains tax and favorable business taxes — all without having to renounce your American citizenship. For now, the local government seems receptive toward the crypto utopians. “The U.S. doesn’t want us. It’s trying to choke off this economy,” Mr. Minor said, referring to the difficulties that crypto investors have with American banks. “There needs to be a place where people are free to invent.” The territory’s go-to blockchain tax lawyer is Giovanni Mendez. He expected the tax expatriates to disappear after Hurricane Maria, but the population has instead boomed. “It’s increased monumentally,” said Mr. Mendez, who has about two dozen crypto clients. “And they all came 23 https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/technology/ cryptocurrency-puerto-rico.html together.” All across San Juan, many locals are trying to figure out what to do with the crypto arrivals. Some are open to the new wave as a welcome infusion of investment and ideas. “We’re open for crypto business,” said Erika Medina-Vecchini, the ex-chief business development officer for the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, in an interview at her office. COUNTRY-IN-THE-CLOUD, STATE-AS-A-SERVICE Currently, the global cryptocurrency market is largely dominated by four regions: the US, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. The US and Japan settle more than 60 percent of the global bitcoin and cryptocurrency trades, while South Korea and Hong Kong account for more than 10 percent of the market. In the past, leading cryptocurrency markets like Australia with innovative startups and well-backed early-stage companies struggled to demonstrate success due to the inefficient and impractical policies imposed by the government. Still, the Australian bitcoin market is lagging behind other regions. The primary motive of the government of Belarus
- 15. Blockchain for Government Registration of authors and intellectual rights Worldwide experience Solution #9 Ascribe helps artists and creative people to confirm and maintain author’s rights with help of blockchain. Ascribe enables to create digital editions with help of unique identifications and digital certificates for authorship and authenticity confirmation. Also, there is an established mechanism of transfer of rights from artist/author to buyer/collector, including its juridical aspects. Other examples of services in this field: Bitproof, Blockai, Stampery, Verisart, Monegraph, Crypto-Copyrightcrypto - copyright.com, Proof of Existence. 15 in providing a favorable environment for both cryptocurrency businesses and investors is to better facilitate the growth of its digital economy, beginning with the fastest growing technology and financial network in bitcoin. Similar to Zug in Switzerland, better known as Crypto Valley, the Belarus government plans to address the rapidly growing demand for ICOs and token sales by establishing an ecosystem in which blockchain projects and startups can freely, without being concerned about regulatory conflicts and boundaries, issue crypto-tokens. The most interesting (and perspective) blockchain- related spheres are strictly outside of the cryptocurrencies’ realm24 – they include solutions for healthcare and logistics industries, land sale support, governmental and corporate workflow solutions. Estonia, a global leader in e-government, has recently launched a unified medical record database, accessible to hospitals and insurance companies, in partnership with the blockchain startup Guardtime. Prescrypt works along the same lines in partnership with SNS Bank and Deloitte in the Netherlands, BitHealth – in the United States. Swedish government together with ChromaWay and a partner bank is going to test blockchain smart contracts for a land registry, which are to simplify 24 https://thenextweb.com/guests/blockchain-industry-grew- 18-2-whole-fintech-market/ the life of buyers, sellers, and banks, using land as a collateral on regular basis. BitFury launches a similar initiative in Georgia, whereas BitLand enters Ghana and Honduras (and have plans to expand to Nigeria and Kenya). UAE launches Blockchain strategy to become paperless by 2020. British Everledger assists banks, insurers and open marketplaces in a reduction of risk and fraud by digitally certifying diamonds, art objects and high-end bottles of wine. You can say as much as you like that there is no material value behind the crypto and tokens. Ok. But how much the company that aggregates the greatest number of talents is worth? And there no need to push them to work together – they have already agreed on it on their own. They do not need infrastructure because they have built their own technological rails. They do not need external rules, which have been lowered from the top down because they have agreed among themselves on the move. They do not need supervisors because they are a self-organizing community. Naval Ravikant wrote25 on Twitter: «For a purely reflexive store-of-value like Bitcoin, the underlying metric to track isn’t number of transactions, it’s number of believers». As Democrat Rep. Jason Powell explained: “We are not just competing with other states in the technology and the space, we’re competing with the world. In making sure that Tennessee 25 https://twitter.com/naval/status/905641120654254081
- 16. 16 has meaningful blockchain legislation, it is really important to say that Tennessee is supportive of this technology and we want to be a leader in this innovation.” JAPAN In the case of Japan, this country is one of the best examples how crypto-friendly regulation is helping them attract talent for different industries, rather than only wondering if it is a bubble or not. The Switzerland-based Institute for Management Development assesses the ability of a country to develop, attract and retain talent. Recently Hong Kong topped26 Singapore in a tight race for the best of Asia’s talent, according to 2017 rankings by the IMD. Singapore scored 75.63 versus 77.9 for its regional rival, while both took a big lead against 10 others in Asia. In comparison, in Japan, there are relatively few startups in a country that often ranks low for entrepreneurship. About a year ago, Japanese financial firms started to discuss about the risk falling behind on the world stage as efforts to adopt blockchain technology that promises to save billions of dollars in backroom processing and revolutionize the finance industry are hamstrung by a dearth of specialists. Consequently, blockchain talent is scarce, and finance houses risk being left behind as global peers pass blockchain savings on to clients. A shortage of talent, however, may delay Japanese 26 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-20/ hong-kong-beats-singapore-in-race-to-attract-talent-chart finance houses in reaching the same level of competitiveness. The paucity of blockchain experts in particular is partly down to the stunted growth of fintech startups in Japan. Japan has produced relatively few blockchain ventures, and those that have emerged have attracted less funding than global rivals. And now, one year after, Japan became one country that has shown particular enthusiasm for this new paradigm27 . The government in Tokyo passed a law recognizing bitcoin as legal tender back in April; while just last week, regulators in the country endorsed 11 companies to operate cryptocurrency exchanges. The volume of bitcoin being exchanged with Japanese yen has skyrocketed in recent months – presumably as a result of this high-level acceptance. The broader potential of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain tech that underpins them could serve to boost Japan’s economy. One positive result of this would be greater willingness to use blockchain in settings outside of cryptocurrencies, such as banking and public services. The secure-by-design technology could be used to create a nationwide digital identity system for Japan along the lines of India’s Aadhaar. CANADA The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) announced28 , that they will soon launch a securities 27 https://www.techinasia.com/japan-financial-blockchain- adoption 28 https://cointelegraph.com/news/canadian-stock-exchange- Blockchain for Government Commodities markets and Securities markets Worldwide experience Solution #10 Operations with commodities and raw materials: Uphold is a platform for moving, converting, transactions and storage of any sort of commodities and raw materials. In 2017, as the result of 1.5 year-long project with the Estonian government and the Nasdaq stock exchange on a blockchain- based system for company shareholder voting, it was announced that the experiment was successful and its scope of application would be expanded. Prior to the e-voting system launch in Estonia, blockchain platform, Linq was released for the private capital market. First deal was made with Chain company’s stocks.
- 17. Blockchain for Government Electricity Worldwide experience Solution #10 Energy Blockchain Labs is an enterprise that dedicates its activities to full circle creation of added value in the energy industry, implementing projects in the field of energy generation and consumption, its trade, management etc. Grid Singularity – a decentralized platform for information exchange in the field that provides a number of applications that simplify data analysis and tests, management of intellectual energy systems, work with “green certificates” etc. TransActive Grid project by LO3 Energy enables the measurement of the level of energy generation and consumption and several other rates in real time. First demonstrative installation is currently working in New York’s Brooklyn district. 17 clearing and settlement platform based on the Ethereum (ETH) Blockchain that lets companies raise capital with security tokens. According to the CSE announcement, companies using the Blockchain-based platform can issue Security Token Offerings (STO) to investors as a means to raise capital. Those issuing tokens via the CSE platform will “be subject to full regulation by applicable securities commissions”. The CSE positions their STOs to companies as an alternative to running an Initial Coin Offering(ICO), which the exchange misleadingly calls unregulated. The press release notes that the platform will benefit both “large, established companies,” as well as, “start-up entrepreneurs seeking to access the public capital markets for the first time.” SPAIN The government of Spain is preparing blockchain- friendly legislation including possible tax breaks to attract companies in the emerging blockchain technology sector29 . “We hope to get the legislation ready this year,” said MP Teodoro Garcia Egea, who is preparing a comprehensive cryptocurrency- related bill. “We want to set up Europe’s safest framework to invest in ICOs.” launches-fully-regulated-token-funding-platform-unlike-icos 29 https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/government-spain- considers-blockchain-friendly-regulations/ Too much regulation could stifle innovation and push promising blockchain-based firms to relocate to less restrictive jurisdictions offshore. According to Garcia Egea and the Popular Party, the ruling political party of Spain to which the lawmaker belongs, it’s in Spain’s interest to attract and keep those firms, and, therefore, the country should adopt a blockchain-friendly regulatory approach. Garcia Egea added that the bill in preparation was inspired by existing blockchain-friendly regulatory frameworks such as those that enable the Crypto Valley in Switzerland. It could include ways to attract investment in blockchain technologies, such as a threshold below which a cryptocurrency investment wouldn’t need to be reported to the regulator, and specific regulations to make it attractive for entrepreneurs to use a blockchain to carry out initial coin offerings, or ICOs, as a financing tool. It seems likely that, if Garcia Egea and the Popular Party manage to convert their vision into law, Spain could become one of the few crypto-havens in the Eurozone, which could result in many innovative technology developers and ICO operators relocating to Spain. MALAYSIA Malaysia’s central bank, Bank Negara, is set to release a “concept paper,” calling for the public to
- 18. 18 decide the fate of cryptocurrencies in the country30 . Bank Negara governor Muhammad Ibrahim is said to have assured the bank will neither ban nor recognize cryptocurrency. “Basically, we will let the cryptocurrency promoters including bitcoin, ethereum and ripple to be more transparent, the methods to be more transparent and people behind the scene are to be more transparent too. By doing so, the public can decide on its own if they want to invest in cryptocurrencies.’’ Malaysia in recent years has been an economic tiger, its economy growing faster than more powerful regional cousins South Korea, and even outpacing France and Australia. Its government is unusually paternalistic with regard to the economy, however, though less so as it has developed. Politically it occupies an odd space in Southeast Asia as a federal constitutional elective monarchy. Something akin to the Westminster system, the king is chosen in rotation by hereditary families, and he acts as ceremonial head of state, appointing upper parliament house members and ministers. Mr. Ibrahim’s comments follow Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani who explained the country wouldn’t ban cryptocurrency completely so as to avoid curbing “creativity and innovation in [the] financial sector”. Back in December of last year, the central bank put together crypto regulatory guidelines for both citizens and businesses in the country. Malaysia’s 30 https://news.bitcoin.com/malaysia-central-bank-let-public- decide-cryptos-fate/ new Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) policy guidelines specifically addressing cryptocurrencies came into effect31 . The new regulations compel Malaysian virtual currency exchanges to mandate KYC adherence, including the collection of ID documentation. The policy document states that Malaysian cryptocurrency exchanges “are required to conduct customer due diligence on all customers and the persons conducting the transaction when the reporting institution establishes business relationship with customer and when the reporting institutions have any suspicion of money laundering or terrorism financing.” The regulations mandate that Malaysian virtual currency exchanges collect the full name, address, and date of birth of all customers, in addition to ID documentation. As such, the bank stated that “digital currency businesses are not covered by prudential and market conduct standards […] applicable to financial institutions regulated by” Bank Negara Malaysia. BAHRAIN The Government of Bahrain is showing keen interest in cryptocurrencies (digital assets) like many of the other nations in the Middle East32 . As a part of its latest Fintech Bay initiative, Bahrain is willing to facilitate fintech companies from all around the world and provide them with world-class 31 https://news.bitcoin.com/new-malaysian-cryptocurrency- regulation-come-into-effect/ 32 https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/310129 Blockchain for Government Implementation of non-cash payments, emission of electronic money Worldwide experience Solution #11 There is a lot of small talk about innovations, fintech and blockchain – but just take a look at how efficiently Sweden fights with cash! Government has simply started to prohibit usage of cash, pushing fintech-startups for further development. Decrease of cash in circulation and gradual transition from real to digital money emission. The result: no conversion commissions, no underground economy and hidden oligarch money. Decrease in domestic crime, related to theft and robbery. Total transparency on the level of banking system – transparency in deposited assets, lack of holes and deceived depositors.
- 19. Blockchain for Government NEW monetary policy “Helicopter money” term was offered by Nobel prize laureate in economics Milton Friedman in 1969 in his work “Optimal quantity of money”. Its essence is the following: you can raise inflation and stimulate economic activity by giving money directly to households, who, having more money, will spend them more actively. President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi stated in March, 2016 that although “helicopter money” has never been discussed in the European regulator seriously, “this is a very interesting idea”. A little later, ECB’s executive board member and chief economist Peter Praet similarly said in his interview that in theory, any state bank can issue money and give them to the people. In 2002 Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke said that this method could “most sure” be an effective stimulus to consumption and, respectively, decline in prices. “Helicopter money” principle is a basis for experiments in a number of countries to implement “universal basic income”. “Helicopter money” can turn from hypothetical to real instrument to stimulate the economy, according to Citigroup, HSBC and Commerzbank Earlier, Bridgewater investment fund founder and one of the most successful investors in the USA Ray Dalio commented on the topic. The investor specified, that in this phase of development state banks will start financing state expenditures from digital money and channel money directly to households. 19 infrastructure to set shop in the country, that’s now eyeing a move from oil to innovation. The Bay that boasts of being the largest co-working space in the region facilitates the growth of global organizations who want to come to Bahrain by helping them establish themselves in the country. Bahrain’s list of fintech companies will also include cryptocurrency-led firms, who want to establish a proper infrastructure in Bahrain. Along with infrastructure, The Fintech Bay is also going to look at providing them with the required workforce. This partnership will prove beneficial for the companies as well because of the low rate of taxation and cheaper infrastructure in the country. After a green signal from the authorities, these companies will be registered in Bahrain. Once the registration process is done, the work of the Fintech Bay will be to establish the company. A Bahrain government official said, “As of now, we recognize cryptocurrency as a commodity that can be traded in the exchanges. We are not considering it as a legal tender in any form.” It remains to be seen if crypto companies will see the Bahrain region as a lucrative place to gain credibility by registering with the Central Bank of Bahrain. Khalid Saad, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Fintech Bay told33 , “As long as the business qualifies as a fintech (financial technology), we will welcome it. The focus is on developing the culture of 33 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/world/ bahrain-steps-up-cryptocurrency-push/article22981052.ece entrepreneurship in Bahrain.” The major fight in crypto & ICOs is not over resources or money- it’s over talent Everyone used to fight over resources: land, water, oil, money... Now the main fight is over talents - not about what is already there, but about access to the minds of those who can come up with something cool in the future. Acqui-hiring (acquisition of companies not because of their financial results, assets, products or technologies, but because of the people who work there) has become a widespread phenomenon among the most successful (technology) companies. Now let’s take a look at The Bubble Generation Inc., which unites the world of crypto and ICO. Most likely there are 90 scammers and rascals out of every 100 people (how many people really do bring value to your company? 20%?) but if you count together the ten in each hundred, don’t you think that The Bubble Generation Inc. will become the leader in the number of attracted talent within the next 2–3 years? It’s hard to talk (and it’s hard not to talk) about a crypto/ICO bubble these days without spending some time ranting about the latest trend in acquisition so-called “acqui-hire,” which occurs when a tech giant is perceived to be buying a young business not for its products or its customers, but
- 20. Blockchain for Government VotingSolution #12 Federal and municipal elections. No rigging of votes or hackers’ intervention. No Low voter turnout problem, no situation where minority choses for majority. Every vote is transparently counted. Referendums for socio-economic questions, population ensus – these projects don’t need agitation and advertising, polling station expenses, video control etc. Decisions on neighborhood scale – every citizen connects his token to his place of residence and participates in decision making process with everyone. Citizen see the expenditures and can initiate repair or maintenance works. Worldwide experience Remote voting technology based on the blockchain: www.boule.one. Deck: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/ u/21890242/life/sreda/ICO/decks/Boule.pdf Follow My Vote develops safe and transparent blockchain-based platform for unanimous online-voting Advocate – platform for enhancing communications of citizens with state authorities, aimed at helping both average citizens and candidates for positions in local governmental authorities. Borderless – civil management platform, positioned as a coalition of worldwide accessible juridical (marriages, legal entity establishment, notary) and economic services (basic income, financial operations) based on smart contracts and Expanse blockchain. 20 for its talent. Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and Alibaba have made headlines for their recent “acqui-hires”. “In order to build beautiful inspiring products, grow engagement, and ultimately revenue, everything starts with having the best people,” Marissa Mayer said on Yahoo’s earnings conference call. “Talent acquisitions were the best way for us to gain functioning teams in key areas who are accomplished, responsible, accountable, collaborative and visionary and to do so quickly,” she added. In recent years, some investors and observers have taken aim at “acqui-hiries”—wherein a big company buys a start-up for the sake of raiding its talent. Major tech players argue that buying smaller firms helps to blunt the dreaded “brain drain” effect that sees employees jump ship to other companies–or even become future competitors. Increases in acqui-hiring indicate just how competitive the tech hiring market is for promising young talent. Larger tech companies are increasingly willing to buy other companies just to acquire the human capital. When six-figure salaries aren’t enough to attract top talent, just go buy a company with some smart people and add them to your payroll. Established companies acquire other businesses to grow their revenue, lower costs, enter new markets, or add on strategically important features, products or services. An acqui-hire is an exit strategy that can make many people happy. Investors get money back, the tech giants get to hire people who might not have wanted to work there otherwise, and the founders look like they just had a success. And for many unprofitable companies, an acquisition might be a good alternative to simply going out of business, as may often be the case as companies blow through their funding. As a better alternative to shutdown, acqui-hiring allows investors in businesses to recover some or most of their money and allows entrepreneurs to join a company they admire and create a possibility of earnouts in the future. The ideas — not just the people — are getting acquired. While ideas are hard to separate from the people who create them, it’s easier to reconcile the aforementioned math when you’re talking about the value of ideas. Instead of “acqui-hires,” they’re really “innovation-quisitions.” For example, Apple purchased WiFiSLAM, a company that focuses indoor Wi-Fi and has just a few employees for $20 million. A case in point is acquisition of Bangalore-based start-up Little Eye Labs, offering performance analysis and monitoring tools to app developers in identifying and solving performance-related issues in Android apps, by Facebook. In July 2017 Google acqui-hired four- month-old Bangalore-based artificial intelligence startup Halli Labs. In the same month Facebook has acquired an AI virtual assistant startup Ozlo. The social media company will receive the startup’s technology and a team of 30 employees. In September 2017 Google acqui-hired 2,000 HTC employees for $1.1 billion. In October 2017 Apple
- 21. 21 acqui-hired the team from NY-based messaging assistant Init.ai to work on Siri. Taavi Kotka, who spent four years as Estonia’s chief information officer, is one of the leading public faces of a project known as e-Estonia34 : a coordinated governmental effort to transform the country from a state into a digital society. “Countries are like enterprises,” Taavi Kotka said. “They want to increase the wealth of their own people.” “If countries are competing not only on physical talent moving to their country but also on how to get the best virtual talent connected to their country, it becomes a disruption like the one we have seen in the music industry,” he said. The program that resulted is called e-residency, and it permits citizens of another country to become residents of Estonia without ever visiting the place. An e-resident has no leg up at the customs desk, but the program allows individuals to tap into Estonia’s digital services from afar. Tim Draper, who became Estonia’s second e-resident, told: “I thought, Wow! Governments are going to have to compete with each other for us”. So far, twenty- eight thousand people have applied for e-residency, mostly from other countries. To be clear, this doesn’t involve actually becoming Estonian, or even physically being in Estonia. Instead, they’re hoping to spread the ideas of their powerful internet-based services and promote their national brand, in order to coax others to use them from afar. But blockchain is so new that financial institutions 34 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/18/ estonia-the-digital-republic are often forced to seek engineers and developers, not from the tech giants with which they have long collaborated, but among startup companies - the traditional incubators of embryonic technology. The technology is complex and relatively unknown, and producing a steady supply of skilled engineers will likely be a slow process. It doesn’t mean it’s bad if it’s not clear: ‘learning by doing’ approach for regulators with crypto The Edelman trust barometer 2017 reveals the largest ever global drop in trust across the four key institutions of government, business, media and NGOs. For 17 years the Edelman Trust Barometer has surveyed tens of thousands of people across dozens of countries about their level of trust in business, media, government, and NGOs. This year was the first time the study found a decline in trust across all four of these institutions. In almost two-thirds of the 28 countries they surveyed, the general population did not trust the four institutions to “do what is right” — the average level of trust in all four institutions combined was below 50%. They also discovered a staggering lack of confidence in leadership: 71% of survey respondents said government officials are not at all or somewhat credible. Over the past 10 years central banks in developed countries have reduced their interest rates 637 times, the governments have spent $12.3 trillion to acquire assets under quantitative easing programs, but this did not result in significant economic growth or acceleration of inflation. Economists Blockchain for Government Estonia is one of the first countries to start implementing blockchain on state level In the first half of 2016, the Estonian government agreed with Guardtime to transfer data of more than 1 million state citizens’ medical cards to a blockchain database. 94% of citizens have electronic IDs that enable them to use the system. 2% of countries GDP is saved on a no-paperwork governmental system; 4000+ services are provided digitally; Estonia is the №1 country in the world by tax collection and Digital Economy Index. Estonia's statewide project of the unified electronic system is one of the most successful implemented projects in the world. The decentralized open system connects different services and databases. Because of this structure, it is easy to implement new services and applications, and their transition to blockchain system is fast and easy. “Cloud business” project in form of a e-Residence project was fulfilled. In 2017, as the result of 1.5 year-long project with the Estonian government and the Nasdaq stock exchange on a blockchain-based system for company shareholder voting, it was announced that the experiment was successful and its scope of application would be expanded.
- 22. Blockchain for Government Estonia is a country without borders, where residents soon can become country’s stakeholders Estonia is a country without borders, where residents soon can become country stakeholders. Companies come to Estonia, attracted by digital infrastructure and government’s views on new technologies. It’s not surprising that a logical continuation to this process will be a government- supported ICO to give many people a share in their country’s future. Within such an ICO, ESTCOIN can be issued. Although this idea still exists only on the level of official state blog, country offering has caused incredible buzz and community support. It has been supported by leading crypto experts, politics, entrepreneurs and economists. For example, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin believes that these tokens can be used to stimulate investors to support country’s success. Acquired funds can be managed through public-private partnership with a goal to help Estonia create a brand new digital nation through investments in new technologies and innovations for government, from smart contracts to artificial intelligence, and make it technically scaled for more people around the world to benefit it. Then Estonia will serve an example of how societies of the future can be used in the era of new technologies. 22 argue that the measures used to stimulate the economy - near zero or negative key interest rates and quantitative easing - have exhausted themselves and new tools are needed. Apparently, such a tool can be ‘helicopter money’. The term was introduced by Nobel winning economist Milton Friedman in 1969 in the paper “The Optimum Quantity of Money”. The basic principle is that if a central bank wants to raise inflation and output in an economy that is running substantially below potential or targeted levels, one of the most effective tools would be simply to give everyone direct money transfers. In theory, people would see this as a permanent one-off expansion of the amount of money in circulation and would then start to spend more freely. The grounds for assuming that ‘helicopter money’ can turn from hypothetical into a real tool to spark economic growth are provided by Citigroup, HSBC and Commerzbank - all published reports to investors on the topic in the past two years. In 2002, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of US Federal Reserve Bank, said that ‘helicopter money’ would almost certainly be an effective stimulant to consumption and hence to prices. ECB President Mario Draghi said in March 2016 that the bank had “never discussed” issuing so-called helicopter money, but “it’s a very interesting concept”. Similarly, Peter Praet, the ECB’s chief economist and Member of the Executive Board, said in his interview that all central banks can issue currency and you distribute it to people. The question is, if and when is it opportune to make recourse to that sort of instrument which is really an extreme sort of instrument. “We don’t know for certain that ‘helicopter money’ will be the next attempted silver bullet, however the topic is receiving considerably more attention,” said Gabriel Stein, an economist at Oxford Economics Ltd. in London. “The likelihood is reasonably high of some form being implemented somewhere.” American billionaire Ray Dalio, by one measure the most successful hedge fund manager of all time, has argued that central banks’ ability to invigorate economic growth has atrophied, and predicts a new era of radical monetary policy possibly involving “helicopter money”. Mr Dalio argued in a note to clients that measures like interest rate cuts quantitative easing and even negative interest rates have been exhausted and are increasingly ineffective. “While QE will push asset prices somewhat higher, investors/savers will still want to save, lenders will still be cautious lenders, and cautious borrowers will remain cautious, so we will still have ‘pushing on a string’,” he wrote referring to the situation when monetary policy does not lead to an increase in consumer spending and investment. A survey by the World Economic Forum says35 the tipping point for bitcoin and blockchain 35 https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/wef-survey-predicts- bitcoin-tipping-point-happening-by-1443806340/
- 23. Blockchain for Government Japan – a conservative nation that understands the benefits of cryptocurrency legalization During the last couple of years, the Japanese government has consistently approved draft laws that have led to bitcoin’s status as official currency and a legal payment method for goods and services. As a result, opportunities where you can officially pay with bitcoin has grown 5x times from 900 in 2015 to 4200 in 2016, with trade turnover nearing 2 billion dollars. By the end of 2017, the number of companies that officially accept payment in bitcoins can exceed 200,000. At the same time, Japan preserves control over cryptocurrency turnover. According to the new rules implemented by Tokyo this year, any bitcoin or “alternative coin” fall under the oversight of the Japan Financial Services Agency. It shows that the market is ready to operate in legal framework and follows AML / KYC to full extent, and the government can introduce changes if it has enough will. 23 adoption will happen by the year 2025. Blockchain technology is expected to reach its tipping point in the next few years, and by 2023, it’s predicted that the first government will collect taxes using the technology. According to the report, the total worth of Bitcoin in the blockchain is about 0.025% of global GDP36 now – but by 2027, about 10% of the global GDP will be stored using blockchain. Transparency and efficiency of managing the new money supply will positively influence and restore confidence in the public institutions. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde didn’t rule out that the IMF could at some point develop its own cryptocurrency37 . She pointed to the IMF’s Special Drawing Right (SDR), a currency the IMF created to serve as an international reserve asset, that could incorporate technology similar to cryptocurrencies. “What we will be looking into is how this currency, the special drawing right, can actually use the technology to be more efficient and less costly,” she said. A bubble is an indication that a new idea has appeared and infused itself into many minds. This is the society’s feedback to the fact that somewhere there is a great paindemand opportunity that is not satisfied. A bubble is the result of a rapid uncontrolled growth. This is normal for any system 36 http://www.businessinsider.sg/technology-tipping-points- we-will-reach-by-2030-2016-11/ 37 https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/bitcoin-get-serious- about-digital-currency-imf-christine-lagarde-says.html that is only being formed. No one knows what will happen in the end, no one knows how to do it right. Growth is the main thing that matters. If it is overly controlled, it will stop, and the system that hasn’t got enough time to form will be weak, and gradually wither and die. Just try to control a one- three-five year old child as much as you control twenty-thirty-forty year olds and he will grow up to be imbecile. A predictable, risk-free imbecile grown up under the full control. Any bubble should burst. And this is normal as this is the way a system stabilizes: having formed it discards the superfluous, leaving only what’s important and necessary. Ok, bubble, in which term is your brain capable of seeing the horizon and in what prospects are you able to look at the picture? Look at the history of bubbles: there were those people who lost but in a longer term after each bubble companies like Google, Amazon, PayPal and Netflix that were changing the landscape of the economy survived. (Today the tulip continues as a mainstay of the Holland’s economic life, but it plays a much more important role as the cornerstone on which country’s leadership as the largest purveyor or plants and seeds in the world is built. More than 250,000 jobs are the product directly and indirectly of the flower markets. The country continues to be the largest player with a 52% share in global exports of flowers and plants. 77% of all flower bulbs traded worldwide come from the Netherlands, the majority of which are tulips.) And, most importantly, they brought a lot more benefit to customers than old
- 24. 24 players. The rollback and growth of those players who survive after the bursting bubble multifold compensates for the losses from this burst. Blockchain and crypto are like Internet 20 years ago. A number of regulators around the world ban crypto and/or ICO. Why? Because this new world has become so large that it can not be ignored anymore. And it began to accumulate real resources. Such steps look like they want to own these resources, control their distribution, but do not want to understand the nature of the new things and take risks. But it’s impossible – you need to take risk if you want to create something new and to create a new value. In the world where almost everything can be found on the SaaS model we need bank-as-a-service platforms, broker-as-a-service, insurance-as-a- service... AWS business is twice the size of Amazon’s core business and traditional players will either assimilate this experience, or they will support their licenses and infrastructure (and regulators will support it), or they will die. Infrastructure is no longer a competitive advantage for anyone, if it is not open. By the way, what about government-as- a-service? For example, from Estonia or Singapore. Judging by the reaction of some countries’ regulators to innovation - the world will only benefit from this. It is only possible to give life to a new economy by giving it a certain degree of freedom (the opportunity to take risks, try, make mistakes and not be punished - the fear of making mistakes destroys any innovations: this is a long-proven axiom). We must admit that the old rules and regulations do not work if we really want to grow something new and useful for society. While the new ones are non- existent, they just have to be created. Therefore, the regulator should regulate with caution: not as a judge, but as a mentor. As the saying goes: you need to have the courage to lose sight of the horizon in order to discover new lands. Regulators are able to kill anything, but no regulator is able to create something - and this is the destiny of entrepreneurs. Given that rules are only being formed, players should not be punished for what was committed before their introduction. You shouldn’t regulate too harshly what has not yet appeared and formed - you can only kill it this way. We are for the fact that if regulation comes into conflict with logic, progress and benefit for clients - such regulation should be changed. Rules are not the Bible, they were invented looking back into the past (instead of the future). They are created to help achieve some goal, and if the goal is changing, then the rules should change. If something is not clear, it does not mean that it is something bad. This is something that challenges us to study it and to help it grow.