Marshall Islands Becomes First to Pay Citizens Basic Income in Cryptocurrency

The Marshall Islands government has launched an unconditional basic income payment program, The Guardian reports.

Under the program, each citizen of the Marshall Islands will receive about $200 per quarter. The first payments were made at the end of November, and recipients could choose how they would receive them: in cash, by check, or through a cryptocurrency digital wallet.

“We, the government, want to make sure that no one is left behind,” Marshall Islands Finance Minister David Paul told the British newspaper.

Experts, on whom The Guardian relies, call this program a world first.