Vitalik Buterin Granted Citizenship by Montenegrin Government

To kick off its pledge to become a hub for blockchain innovation, the Montenegrin government has reportedly made the creator of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, its newest citizen.

RTCB, a Montenegrin news outlet, reported that Zdravko Krivokapić, the Prime Minister, has recommended that Buterin be granted citizenship to help the small southeastern European nation become a blockchain innovation hub.

There is no official announcement made yet. However, the Minister of Finance and Social Welfare, Milojko Spajić, shared a photo of Buterin and the Prime Minister where Buterin received his passport.

The Ethereum (ETH) co-founder was hosted by Montenegro on April 7 at the Future Now! panel discussion hosted by Minister Spajić.

The panelists of the event, Buterin, Ethereum researcher Vlad Zmafir, Professor Boris Mamlyk from the University of Memphis Law faculty, and minister Spajić spoke about the legalities of smart contracts in government, blockchain identity, and a number of other topics.

Minister Spajić shared the wishes that he has for his country to be strict on criminals in the cryptocurrency industry. He also added that he feels fairness would stimulate the growth of the industry in his country while also diminishing the “gray economy in all areas”.

According to the Minister: “Montenegro strives to become a center of innovation in blockchain technology with an emphasis on all the advantages of a legitimate industry that will bring attractive regulations.”

The Montenegrin government is now tackling the complicated regulatory difficulties that are native to the integration of blockchain technology into its various systems.