- One euro’s worth of Bitcoin has been sent to each of Spain’s 350 Congress of Deputies
- The stunt, which aims to encourage direct use of cryptocurrencies, was instigated by Tutellus and the Blockchain Observatory and Forum
- With a digital euro inevitable, the two bodies took it upon themselves to help educate Spain’s policymakers through the Bitcoin stunt
An educational campaign targeting Spain’s Congress of Deputies has seen each of the 350 members being sent a small amount of Bitcoin. The campaign, launched by tokenization platform Tutellus and the Blockchain Observatory and Forum, aims to educate the members on the “transcendental” role that they feel cryptocurrencies are going to play in the transformation of the economy and society worldwide.
Bitcoin Transfer Aimed at Encouraging First Hand Usage
As reported by local news outlet ABC, in order to boost their educational campaign, Tutellus and the Blockchain Observatory and Forum created wallets for all 350 members of Spain’s Congress of Deputies and sent them the equivalent of one euro in Bitcoin.
As Tutellus founder Miguel Caballero explained in a note accompanying the gesture, the Bitcoin was not intended merely as a donation:
It is not a donation. Probably many of your Lordships already have some experience in the use of cryptocurrencies, but we would like that those who are not yet familiar with the new money, have the opportunity to get in touch with it.
Caballero adds that “we are in a time of profound changes in the use of money” and hopes that physical, hands-on experience of using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will help remove the skepticism and fear that policy makers have surrounding digital currencies.
Digital Currencies Inevitable
Giving decision makers first-hand experience in handling digital currencies is becoming even more important as financial policy makers discuss with ever increasing certainty the likelihood of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) being deployed by various governments.
China is the most notable leader in this respect, with their digital yuan undergoing real world testing in Shenzhen and Beijing, but the prospect of a digital euro is not far behind – just two weeks ago Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank, spoke about how the body was actively discussing the “benefits, risks and operational challenges” of a digital euro.
The Tutellus/ Blockchain Observatory and Forum scheme is not the first of its kind. The same week, the Chamber of Digital Commerce PAC – the American association that promotes blockchain technology – distributed $50 in Bitcoin to each of the 541 Washington congressmen for the same purpose.
