Catalonia Working on Blockchain Technology Development

The Spanish province of Catalonia has caught the blockchain technology bug. 

On Tuesday (July 24), the Catalonian government announced its intentions to implement the technology in its public administration in its efforts to improve digital services.

According to the release, the Department of Digital Polices has until December 31 to put together the framework for blockchain across all areas of public administration to begin developing the technology by 2019.

“The Government has approved to promote the implementation of the ‘blockchain’ technology in the activity of the Public Administration with the aim of improving digital services to the public and promoting the potential of this technology between the Administration, companies and the citizenship,” the press release reads.

The plan of the Department of Digital Policies–which will be created by an interdepartmental working group–will have a goal of promoting knowledge, training and the overall foundation of expertise in blockchain in addition to promoting research and innovation in the technology.

The department will also look to foster developing a “new industry around it and promote among the citizens the possibilities and potentialities of this technology to facilitate their adoption.”

Jordi Puignero, counselor at the Department of Digital Policies, took to Twitter (NASDAQ:TWTR) on Wednesday (July 25) and said that blockchain will be revolutionizing the same way the dot.com era was in the 90’s.

“In Catalonia we will be pioneers in the implementation of a strategy for the country based on this technology,” he said.

#Blockchain serà una revolució, com ho va ser Internet als anys 90. A Catalunya serem pioners en la implementació d’una estratègia de país basat en aquesta tecnologia ? https://t.co/hsiNechAhu pic.twitter.com/dkEdeLxnAy

— Jordi Pu1gnerO ? (@jordiPuignero) July 25, 2018

Catalonia’s interest in the blockchain and cryptocurrency spaces have significantly increased since its independence referendum in October of last year. According to CNN, the regional government indicated 90 percent of the voters favored a split from Madrid, which led to reports of the region potentially issuing a cryptocurrency post-independence.

Earlier in July, Reuters reported that the government of Spain was looking to appeal Catalonia’s push for independence, but on July 12 the Guardian reported the new president of the region would be pushing for another independence referendum. Last year’s referendum led to Catalonia’s former president, Carles Puigdemont being released by the Spanish government for holding an illegal referendum.

While the future of Catalonia’s independence and potential cryptocurrency remain unknown, its ventures into blockchain technology are at least promising.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Jocelyn Aspa, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.