Antigua & Barbuda is gunning to become a global digital currency hub, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed. Browne talked to CoinGeek during a watch party held in the island nation for CoinGeek Live 2020, revealing his government’s efforts and how he believes the nation will benefit from blockchain integration.
Antigua & Barbuda passed the Digital Asset Business Act in 2018, establishing a legal framework to govern the digital currency industry. This law has led to rapid growth of the digital currency industry in the country, Browne told CoinGeek.
The Prime Minister is especially impressed with Bitcoin SV, he revealed. He attributed BSV’s growth in the island nation to the diligent efforts of Ayre Group and CoinGeek founder Calvin Ayre, a longtime resident of Antigua.
“Ambassador Calvin Ayre in particular has been providing us with a significant amount of information. As cabinet members, I think we now have a good understanding of that space.”
Browne had attended a CoinGeek Live 2020 watch party in Antigua where the attendees got the opportunity to hear from some of Bitcoin’s most elite minds. The event was one of a kind, integrating live broadcast in an engaging way that no other Bitcoin event has managed to.
One of the highlights of the event was Dr. Craig Wright who took to the stage on each of the three days. Browne cited Dr. Wright’s presentations as enlightening, stating:
“I just watched the presentation by Dr. Craig Wright and I have to say I was impressed. I now recognize that the BSV platform is a transparent platform, one in which there’s no anonymity and thus can be utilized as an open system for various innovations, for entrepreneurs, for governments… I can see my government utilizing the platforms for its civil registry, for the land register, for the passport division. This will make sure we have the immutability and transparency that we require.”
Browne was full of praise for the nChain team and Calvin Ayre for their sustained efforts geared towards bettering the technology. Their desire to educate the world about Bitcoin, through such efforts as CoinGeek Live, is also commendable, the Prime Minister noted.
“When we don’t understand things, we tend to be negative towards them.”
Browne believes that it’s just a matter of time before blockchain technology becomes the norm around the world. As more people understand the technology and its benefits, it will be integrated into virtually every other industry, both by the public and private sectors, he told CoinGeek.
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