Taiwanese Congressman wants to turn Taiwan into "Blockchain Island".

It’s no secret that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum are volatile by design. Because of this volatile nature, no one is jumping at the opportunity to replace their credit card with the one Bitcoin they spent months mining for. However, the popularity of cryptocurrency has brought attention to the underlying technologies that allow cryptocurrency to work. This technology is known as “blockchain”.

Blockchain is simply the system that allows cryptocurrency transactions to be recorded and monitored in a secure and anonymous way. But, if one was to modify certain systems, a blockchain could be used for more general purposes. Really, anything that requires information to be moved from Point A to Point B. But does the world have that “one”? A human being that’s willing to test the uncharted waters of blockchain to create a more efficient society? It just so happens we do, and his name is Jason Hsu, a legislator in Taiwan.

From Entrepreneur to Legislator

In an interview, Jason Hsu stated that he had enough of sitting back and watching the world go by. No more would he be the average tech entrepreneur that looked for customers. Mr. Hsu had one goal: to bridge the gap between technology and the public influence in Taiwan. He noticed that innovation in the technology sector was limited due to legal issues. In other words, he wanted to bring democracy to technology, and that he did.

He would later achieve his goal by becoming legislator later that year. From that point on, Legislator Hsu had a job to turn Taiwan back into a leader of innovation, and that he plans on doing.

Hsu’s Influence on Taiwan

It’s rare to find a politician that truly cares about the country they are serving, but Jason Hsu is the living embodiment of a politician that does nothing but his best. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s just take a look at the work he’s done to improve Taiwan:

Firstly, Hsu has been a staunch supporter of labor rights for workers. According to Hsu, Taiwan has over 9 million laborers, and conditions for them are not what you’d call fantastic. Hsu has been recorded calling out Taiwan’s recent labor laws, which decreased shift rest time and forces laborers to work more days in a row (one rest day every seven work days to two every fourteen). Hsu has also been one of the few government officials in Taiwan to support LGBT+ rights. His support is a big reason why Taiwan recently legalized LGBT marriages.

Mr. Hsu has also shown interest in an IoT-fueled Taiwan. In May of this year, he called a meeting with all of the government ministries to develop a national strategic plan for IoT. To do this, Hsu has been working with the IOTA Foundation, the pioneers of IoT.

But perhaps his biggest, and surely ambitious, goal is to turn Taiwan into what he calls a “blockchain island”. This plan came to him after China banned ICOs. Now that China was out of the ICO game, Taiwan had an opportunity to prove themselves; to show the world the tech bastion that Taiwan has been and can be. According to the man himself, he’s already started 25 projects that deal with integrating blockchain into daily life, such as jobs that require drug testing or sifting through court records.

The Future of “Blockchain Island”

If you don’t believe in Taiwan’s technological capabilities, then Jason Hsu will make you believe. To him, Taiwan is the perfect country to turn into a blockchain island due to Taiwan’s history of technological engineering and design. The knowledge and talent that Taiwan carries in technology are shown through its semiconductor success story, which is what gives Hsu the confidence that Taiwan can lead the way to a blockchain-enhanced society.

To Hsu, the success of his projects is critical, as he believes that society is at a critical juncture where society and humanity are threatened if the wrong moves are taken. To Hsu, this isn’t a sense of pride or nationalism that keeps him going, it’s a need for a better future.

(This is a guest post and does not reflect Andado's opinions and is only for educational purposes)