Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs is considering bitcoin and blockchain tech amid a broader push toward the digitization of government services.
The remarks, the first for the agency on the subject, were issued in a strategic document this February. Established in 2015, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is a government agency whose mission is "to create a digital boost for the development of Poland".
Bitcoin and blockchain were listed alongside the Internet of Things as accelerating technologies that could foster development but that could also entail previously unknown threats.
In the statements, the Ministry acknowledged that while the emerging opportunities have to be exploited by the state for the public good, citizens should be protected from any dangers. No details were provided on how exactly blockchain tech could contribute to building public e-services.
Notably, the agency also proposed the following short definition of the blockchain technology, describing it as a "distributed records of assets and transactions carried out on them".
The statements follow similar remarks from the government of Dubai, which is investigating blockchain alongside a broader drive toward improving government services.
Poland's Ministry of Finance issued its own statement in late 2015, in which it stated that the government has no plans to regulate the industry at this time.
For more information, read the full publication below:
Krakow image via Shutterstock