Summary:
This report examines Malta’s recent effort to adopt Blockchain technology as a fundamental pillar of its future economic, political and diplomatic strategy. Though it has been considered a realignment that is still struggling to take off, Malta’s effort to reconstitute itself as ‘Blockchain Island’ contains a number of important insights. First, it highlights the way in which the online space enables states of all sizes, with varying material resources, to become more economically competitive. Next, it displays the importance of aligning values with strategic efforts, especially when such initiatives engage with novel, unregulated technologies. Finally, the study underscores how the best ideas will still falter if the national reputation of the country does not foster credibility and public trust.
