The Marshall Islands has rolled out the world's first national universal basic income (UBI) program that includes a cryptocurrency payment option.
Citizens can receive quarterly payments of around $200—either through traditional methods like bank transfers or checks, or as a US dollar-pegged stablecoin via a government digital wallet—to help combat rising living costs in this remote Pacific nation.
This is a pretty innovative move, especially for reaching people on far-flung islands.
Universal Basic Income (UBI)—and perhaps Universal Basic Services (like guaranteed healthcare, education, housing, and transit)—really starts to look practical when you zoom out: as AI and humanoid robots handle more and more jobs, something like this could ease the shift into an economy where humans aren't required for every task. It's essentially a live experiment for all those theories about how automation will reshape society.
the Guardian
Marshall Islands launches world’s first universal basic income scheme offering cryptocurrency
Quarterly payments of $200 to be offered via stablecoin or traditional currency in a scheme designed to ease cost of living pressures in the Pacifi...