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Marshall Islands Warned Against Adopting Digital Currency (bbc.com)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning the Republic of the Marshall Islands to "seriously reconsider" the idea of adopting a digital currency as a second form of legal tender. As it stands, the U.S. dollar is the only legal tender in the islands. The BBC reports: A law to adopt a digital currency named "Sovereign" alongside the dollar was passed in February. The first virtual coins are due to be issued to members of the public via an initial coin offering (ICO) later this year. However, IMF directors said the potential benefits of the move were much smaller than the potential costs of "economic, reputational and governance risks." "[Marshall Island] authorities should seriously reconsider the issuance of the digital currency as legal tender," wrote the directors in their report, which was first spotted by Coindesk.

There is just one domestic commercial bank in the country and it is at risk of losing its only correspondent banking relationship with another bank in the U.S. That relationship allows the Islands to transfer dollars in and out of the country. It highlighted the Marshall Islands' dependence on foreign aid, and the fact that the country is vulnerable to natural disasters as well as sea level rise linked to climate change. Adopting a digital currency as an official form of legal tender would threaten both financial integrity and the nation's key relationship with the U.S. bank. The result could be disruption to foreign aid, according to the IMF.

71 comments

  1. Good advice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If their economy tanks because of their stupid decisions, don't expect the rest of the world to bail them out!!!

    1. Re:Good advice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but but but COINZ are de future brah!

    2. Re:Good advice by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, a "serial entrepreneur" has been leading the project.

  2. $5 Wrench by weilawei · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "It'd be a shame if anything happened to your island."

    1. Re:$5 Wrench by Moblaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Someone at IMF must be scared of cryptos. Little old Marshall Islands with 50K population is that scary?

    2. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They're scared of the idea catching on and losing financial control of sovereign nations

    3. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The threat is that they will be successful and then others will see their success.

    4. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Keep an eye on this. You will see what happens to those who raise the ire of the bankers. They'll threaten, they'll start a smear campaign against, then they'll undermine your economy, and eventually resort to inciting revolution, assassination, and war.

      Fucking scum of the earth.

    5. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's more like: "We can't bail you out when this fails, but it's 100% going to fail, and then you're going to whine and force the rest of the world to bail you out. We advise you to put your leaders in prison now and save everyone the hassle."

    6. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The warning has nothing to do with fear, crypto currencies so far have zero value outside that placed on them by the people who have them and those that are willing to purchase it.

      For an island of 50k people this means you can make all the money you want and say it's worth whatever you want, but if nobody is willing to take it how does that help you? The reality is outside of what backs it there is no difference between hard currency and a digital currency in this situation.

      Take Venezuela they destroyed the value of their currency through poor governance, now they created a digital currency, why would anyone give it more value than the currency that they already had and devalued to the point it was worthless? Do you really think anyone is afraid?

    7. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. 50k people adopting crypto IS scary for the IMF. Worries them to the core. It is a precedent that they do not want.

    8. Re:$5 Wrench by IcyWolfy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It would mean that the argument that cryptocurrency is a commodity will no longer be blindly valid, as the only arguments currently remaining against declaring it a currency equivalent, is that cryptocurrency is not recogninzed by any state as a currency, is not issued by any central bank, nor is in common use as a currency in any locale. This will break those remaining arguments.

      And then, I can see people in the US suing the IRS to reclassify cryptocurrencies as a currency, and not as property.

    9. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or, someone at IMF doesn't want to have to bail them out when it goes belly up.

    10. Re:$5 Wrench by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Informative

      "It'd be a shame if anything happened to your island."

      Something already happened. America vaporized one of their islands.

    11. Re: $5 Wrench by shaitand · · Score: 1

      They are adding it as a second currency not the only currency. If it doesn't take off it hurts nothing, it certainly doesn't follow that other nations could no longer provide them aid. The concern here is definitely a sovereign nation validating a concept of currency that isn't controlled by a central bank, the US dollar being the potentially supplanted is especially damning.

    12. Re:$5 Wrench by shaitand · · Score: 1

      50k people or not, it is a sovereign nation giving cryptocurrency a fair test alongside the dollar, if it works it undermines fiat currency and the power of the US dollar while validating the concept of not needing to rely on the central banks. If it does work, momentum might build.

      This was foolish of them though if they weren't threatening to without emergency disaster aid and such nobody would have likely ever known about this experiment, even if successful.

    13. Re:$5 Wrench by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      More likely the IMF is scared of having to bail them out when their economy collapses and they come looking for a loan.

    14. Re:$5 Wrench by N1AK · · Score: 2

      Have you got any evidence to suggest the IMF is worried about Crypto, beside some half baked conspiracy, rather than genuinely believing that banks might be spooked and that causing problems for the islands? If your a bank and your asked to give someone a loan you make assessments about their ability to pay. If their ability to pay is heavily dependant on a minor crypto-currencies value this is likely to be seen as added risk. Add in the fact banks like keeping crypto at a distance because of all the money laundering etc regulations they are obligated to consider (and the difficulty of doing that with crypto) and I think it's a perfectly reasonable warning.

    15. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is misleading. Dash is being used throughout New Hampshire at a local level. Keene and Portsmouth lead the way with new users and businesses being brought on regularly. Dentists, car mechanics, restaurants, gift shops, computer repair shops, electionics retailers, yoga places, garden supply businesses, chryropractors, message therapists, radio stations, at least three radio shows in Keene alone, gas stations, newspapers, news stands and convenient stores, and dozens of others.

    16. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes- the FBI has been targeting those selling crypto currencies even where compliant with the law. They go to extreme lengths to entrap people. For example they will do repeat buys before then telling the seller that they are a dangerous drug dealer. When this happens you are being manipulated into committing a crime. You can't legally proceed to sell the crypto currency, but you are made to feel not doing so puts your life in danger. I have personally witnessed the FBI attempt to get significant others to admit there partners were involved in criminal activities despite that they were fully compliant with the law (which is unusual due to the complex nature of it).

    17. Re:$5 Wrench by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Something already happened. America vaporized one of their islands.

      It was a itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie, yellow-black trefoil Bikini...

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    18. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if it works it undermines fiat currency

      How will it undermine fiat currency? It will be fiat currency.

    19. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's like saying crack is illegal because we're scared of crackheads taking over. We're only scared of the damage people will do to themselves - then later come begging for help / stab you in an alley.

    20. Re: $5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's value will be fixed by the number of freshmen and sophomores who are willing to spend their student loans on it.

    21. Re:$5 Wrench by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      cryptocurrency is not recogninzed by any state as a currency, is not issued by any central bank

      Aren't those supposed to be what makes it awesome?

      And then, I can see people in the US suing the IRS to reclassify cryptocurrencies as a currency, and not as property.

      Good, then they can pay taxes on it like other currencies, problem solved.

  3. If you control the currency... by snemiro · · Score: 5, Interesting

    you control the country..... Bankers don't like the idea of a gov't managed currency... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    1. Re:If you control the currency... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The island is "at risk" of being cut off by their arbitrary "correspondence relationship" with a single fiat bank (and its host, the arbitrary US) that wants power and control over them...
      OF COURSE they are looking into diversifying their independance and robustifying their infrastructure.
      DUH.

      The world needs more cryptocurrency and diversified distributed independant decentralized control-free monetary solutions.

      Kudos to you Marshall Islands!!!

  4. If I was a citizen of the Marshall Islands by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how would I acquire this currency? Do I have to exchange dollars for it, or do I just get some for being there?

    1. Re:If I was a citizen of the Marshall Islands by SpankiMonki · · Score: 1
      The SOV website says

      There are 53,161 citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands who will seeded 10% of the money supply at launch

      So it looks like they're all getting free money!

    2. Re: If I was a citizen of the Marshall Islands by nullchar · · Score: 1

      There are 53,161 citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands who will seeded 10% of the money supply at launch

      So is the population *seeding* the supply from their own sovereign funds, or will they *be* seeded 10% of the ICO?

      Inquiring minds want to know!

    3. Re: If I was a citizen of the Marshall Islands by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      So is the population *seeding* the supply from their own sovereign funds, or will they *be* seeded 10% of the ICO?

      Yes.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  5. There's another possibility by hyades1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Since the Marshall Islands obviously don't like being under the thumb of corporate-owned America, perhaps they should consider another option. No doubt China would love to see the yuan adopted by the Marshall Islands as its primary form of legal tender.

    Being attached so closely to the Chinese would have its own downside, of course, but given the current course of the United States, the choice isn't nearly as clear as it once was.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:There's another possibility by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Pff, as if the international bankers are just going to let one of their territories go. I see you have no idea how this works. Once they have you, you don't get away, ever. If you do, they send the jackals to wreck your country and work towards eventually overthrowing your government. History is replete with such examples.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:There's another possibility by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Of course. Thank you for your input, and your deep, abiding faith that nothing ever changes, even though it does.

      I assume you're fully aware of the irony of your comment about knowing how things work. No doubt you had similar advice for the people who came up with the internet...or maybe your daddy did.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    3. Re:There's another possibility by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ugh. Back to your mom's basement. This shit wasn't even edgy when you were a friendless loner teenager in high schooler.

      What sucks about 2018 is not knowing weather this sort of clueless drivel comes from clueless bernie-bros or disgusting alt-right man babies.

    4. Re:There's another possibility by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pff, as if the international bankers are just going to let one of their territories go.

      I'm fairly ignorant about these matters, but I if by "international bankers" you mean the IMF, then I believe that dollar or yuan makes no difference to them.

    5. Re:There's another possibility by loonycyborg · · Score: 1

      Dependency on any sort of fiat currency is disadvantageous, either dollar or yuan. You wouldn't want to depend on some foreign moron's raisins, aka fiats.

    6. Re:There's another possibility by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If we look at how the "negociations" are going with the ALENA, the US does not have partners in this day and age, just bullied compliant slave countries that should do their bidding no question asked and obide their every demand ... or else. The bully is on its decline and was just confirmed by China and Russia officially anouncing their reduce use of the US dollar. If the US does not stop with their current attitude, the US dollar will not be the reference currency much longer.

    7. Re:There's another possibility by nasch · · Score: 1

      Dependency on any sort of fiat currency is disadvantageous

      Compared to what?

    8. Re:There's another possibility by loonycyborg · · Score: 1

      Compared to cryptocurrencies, gold or any inherently liquid trade good.

    9. Re:There's another possibility by micahraleigh · · Score: 0

      If the Chinese love their currency so much, why don't they adopt it instead of using faux-dollars?

      Your proposal still doesn't let them do what they want. They don't get a crypto currency.

    10. Re:There's another possibility by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Do you think they'd get the same kind of static from China? It's all about the banking relationship.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    11. Re:There's another possibility by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      There's a cock you should be sucking. Back to work, bitch!

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    12. Re:There's another possibility by InPursuitOfTruth · · Score: 1

      If it succeeds they won't need a banking relationship.

  6. They should tell the bank to shove it... by Trevorm7 · · Score: 1

    and instead of creating their own currency they should adopt a usable global cryptocurrency such as Nano.

  7. A few radio active dots in the ocean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Marshall Islands were destroyed by the USA with nuclear blasts. There isn't much there. So if they would adopt something, it won't have any effect on anything really.

    1. Re: A few radio active dots in the ocean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except they apparently do.

    2. Re:A few radio active dots in the ocean by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      The 50,000 people that live there might think you are an idiot.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  8. IMF eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How many IMF officials have intact foreskin?

    1. Re:IMF eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're hinting that they are Jewish, I advise you to take a look at sov.global's about page.

  9. I Doubt They Care. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Many of them live here in Arkansas primary because they know their island will be under water in the next 50 years just like their fancy US bank.

  10. Crypto Currency manipulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The largest cryptocurrencies are manipulated by the Whales. They control the mining pools. In the case of Proof of Stake, they have (by definition) the staking coins to control a large part of the consensus. I'm not talking about a direct 51% attack, that isn't even necessary.

    What I'm talking about is relevant because if what you have is a legal tender currency, exchangeable for USD, you have a vector for all sorts of issues. I assume (I probably could find out) this PoS or dPoS, and that there will be a small number of parties forming a controlling bloc.

    People on here assume that financial institutions are threatened by crypto currencies. Let's see: Total capitalization of the whole market is under $200B right now and sinking fast. No, that doesn't seem to be the (only) explanation.

    1. Re:Crypto Currency manipulation by shaitand · · Score: 1

      "The largest cryptocurrencies are manipulated by the Whales."

      What exactly do you think the central banks and the handful of families who are intimately tied to them are? Printed currency they have to buy in the US but they buy it at printing cost and they create digital funds just by loaning it to other banks at will. Who runs a long established mine, a 5th or better generation miner, so who do you think are the whales of fiat currency? You think the government controls the fed because a presidential appointment that comes with no obligation after the fact... who exactly do you think they can justify appointing?

      There are whales in all the markets, in the cryptocurrency markets they just early investors who are trying to slowly liquidate without crashing the markets. You know what things are like when they are done? Smaller whales.

    2. Re: Crypto Currency manipulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      âoeWhat exactly do you think the central banks and the handful of families who are intimately tied to them are? ... in the cryptocurrency markets they just early investors who are trying to slowly liquidate without crashing the marketsâ

      Um. Yes, exactly. Thanks for making my point for me, really elegantly. Wait... you somehow think the Whales trying to exit with while the retail investor holds the bag is a good thing? Like I said, thanks for making my point.

    3. Re: Crypto Currency manipulation by shaitand · · Score: 1

      "The bag" is a fully functional interest in a completely legitimate and counterfeit proof resistant system of digital currency. The whales identified that system and recognized it's potential BEFORE it was obvious so they are entitled to their rewards. Legitimate investors will do just fine since they will simply coast over short term dips.

      As for people investing on the speculative markets chasing gold instead of believing in the technology... who cares? These are the same market abusers who disrupt all the markets.

  11. Making a mountain out of a molehill by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

    If you a wondering where, who and what, here's info about the Marshall Islands.
    They have a population of about 53K people, so if it all goes wrong, it's not going to be a huge crisis for the world.

    Besides, they have very real health problems that they should focus on:

    A 2007–2008 study revealed that the rate of type 2 diabetes is among the highest in the world; 28% over the age of 15; 50% over 35. Approximately 75% of women, and 50% of men are overweight or obese. This is mostly due to the adoption of an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. About 50% of all surgeries performed on the island are amputations due to complications from diabetes. There are no facilities for renal dialysis.[39]

    On the other hand, if you are a "chubby chaser" or you are into "nub love" then I think you just found your paradise. ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re: Making a mountain out of a molehill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wonder what the equivalent stats are for the US?

    2. Re: Making a mountain out of a molehill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      According to https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
      Percentages of obese and overweight in the US are 74% for men and 66% for women using 2014 data.

    3. Re: Making a mountain out of a molehill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was easier to look up than for you post that.

      More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report finds that as of 2015, 30.3 million Americans – 9.4 percent of the U.S. population –have diabetes.Jul 18, 2017

      An estimated 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight. Nearly three-quarters of American men and more than 60% of women are obese or overweight. These are also major challenges for America's children – nearly 30% of boys and girls under age 20 are either obese or overweight, up from 19% in 1980.

      So, close on weight, not as close on diabetes.

  12. MAGA by harvey+the+nerd · · Score: 1

    ...time to restart testing, ya know. Vaporize another island. We've been needing to get some fresh warhead data....

  13. Time for regime change .. by najajomo · · Score: 1

    Both Iraq and Libya tried to decouple from the US Dollar and look what happened to them.

  14. Money changers vote against unforgeable currency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's a certain very very old stereotype about these news.

  15. Some people hate crypto enough to threaten a count by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm amazed that there are people who dislike crypto currencies enough to threaten another nation like this. What is wrong with people.

  16. Bailouts is why IMF exists by ghoul · · Score: 2

    IMF was created to do bailouts. If economies dont collapse IMF officials are out of a job. World Bank was created to give uneconomic loans to economies which were not sufficiently subservient to US corporate interests. Once those loans create a debt crisis, IMFs job is to come in and do a bailout and seize control of the countries economic policy and modify it to be friendly to US corporate interests.
    After WW2 US had 2 choices on how to rule a worldwide empire
    1) Absorb all conquered territories as US states, give people a vote and equal rights as Americans
    2) Do not absorb anyone, instead impose the Bretton Woods system so that the US gets all the economic benefits of having a worldwide colonial empire without having to deal with the costs.

    Guess what the US chose?

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
  17. Democracy from 30000 feet by ghoul · · Score: 2

    is only sent to countries with oil.

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
  18. Plot of a Neal Stephenson book by PuckSR · · Score: 1

    If they find hidden Nazi gold to finance the crypto-currency, then this is officially the sub-plot of a Neal Stephenson book.

  19. Re: Sounds about right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    /. has been smoking the bitcoin crack for years now.

    NEVER TRUST A JUNKIE.

  20. Re: Sure thing Saudi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Venezuela did it alllll to themselves. How does that Saudi cock jammed in your mouth taste? Tastes like freedom you say? Ahahaha.. SO GAY

  21. Blackmail by luis_a_espinal · · Score: 1

    This sounds like some Vitto Corleone shit being delivered by Hagen (and enforced by Luca Brassi.)