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Marshall Islands Launches World's First Blockchain Universal Basic Income

Is blockchain UBI in the Marshall Islands a logistical solution, or an impractical technology facing infrastructure challenges?

Published 1 day ago

Marshall Islands Launches World's First Blockchain Universal Basic Income

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Above: Welcome sign at Majuro atoll airport, Marshall Islands on March 4, 2011. Image credit: Andrew Woodley/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Spin

Techno-skeptic narrative

The Marshall Islands' blockchain UBI scheme faces serious implementation challenges that undermine its effectiveness. Internet connectivity remains patchy and frequently disrupted across the islands, making digital payments impractical for most citizens. The overwhelming majority of recipients — 60% choosing bank deposits and most of the remainder opting for paper checks — demonstrates that blockchain technology offers no real advantage over traditional methods.

Taipei Times cryptonews.com

Techno-optimist narrative

Blockchain technology solves the logistical challenge of delivering payments to 40,000 people scattered across 2 million square kilometers of ocean. Traditional finance literally couldn't reach outer island communities, where only half have bank branches, and checks take weeks to arrive by boat. Digital wallets enable instant delivery through the internet rather than unreliable maritime transport, providing genuine financial access where conventional infrastructure has failed.

CryptosRus on X

Alfonso on X

Tokenicer on X

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 5% chance that the U.S., U.K., China, or any of the countries in the EU will enact a universal basic income before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.