^{Bitnation src/ pondarj}

The emergence of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency has heralded numerous cutting-edge initiatives, products, and disruptive technologies within a short time of existence. Today, more than ever before, it is right to say that with all of these opportunities and prospects that the future holds, we are indeed living in the most abundant human age yet.

However, with all of the advances and development in technology and other industries across the globe, a lot of people in some countries and regions in the world are yet to benefit. In a lot of under-developed countries, there are cases of corruption and poor governance in such states.

In Nigeria where I live, for example, we have leaders who work for themselves rather than for the relevant masses. These leaders embezzle public funds and rig grants to acquire more money. Some of the constitutional rules are trampled upon with impunity by the lawmakers themselves and one of the most important movers of any economy in the world (the labour market) is poorly incentivized.

In Nigeria, Civil servants and government workers at the grassroots still earn below $3 a day and less than $100 a month. Which, given the prevailing economic crisis for fiat currencies, is barely enough to cater for a family or save up for a project.

In some other poorly-developed regions in the world, it could be a lot worse. People are forced to live and adhere to unreasonable totalitarian and non-democratic governance models. With little or no access to securing a legal way out of such nations, they take to illegal means of immigration or simply resolve to continue living in such war-torn environments where there is no access to some basic human infrastructure.

Are you a citizen by birth or by choice?

Citizenship today is by birth and the nationality of the parent(s). I am Nigerian because my parents are both Nigerians.

However, Citizenship by birth is almost always oppressive, especially for inhabitants of such regions where some of the problems mentioned earlier exist. All over the world, there are millions of people who wish that they were from somewhere else and under the jurisdiction of a better political system; a government that is dedicated to working for the wellbeing of the citizens of its nation/community above anything else.

These issues (and several underlying problems), accentuates a deep and undying desire for a better world in the hearts of the inhabitants in such nations (Myself included).

Would blockchain technology present a solution to corrupt centralized systems and bring a lasting solution to inert and irresponsible government policies? Can things change?

Introducing Bitnation: Governance 2.0

^{Source: Bitnation}

“Every citizen is sovereign and has the right to self-determination and is at liberty to choose any form of expression or way to be human or posthuman and with whom to associate and cooperate.” ^{pg4, Whitepaper}

BitNation is a highly disruptive blockchain ecosystem that seeks to establish a prototype that will permit the development of superior systems of governance and a Decentralized Borderless Voluntary Nation (DBVN).

While that definition might seem like it is a lot of technical jargons put up in a single sentence, Bitnation simply is a blockchain project that is planning to provide the world with a platform in which people can create new nations with/or new governance models that will allow for other individuals to freely opt-in and out anytime they wish without any complications whatsoever.

Bitnation was started in July 2014 by Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof. Since inception, they have gone on to build a successful name with intriguing projects in the crypto space, including hosting the world’s first blockchain marriage, birth certificate, refugee emergency ID, World Citizenship, DBVN Constitution and more. All of which rightly earned them the UNESCO’s Netexplo Award back in 2017.

Currently, Bitnation's website and its Public Notary proof-of-concept are already being utilized by thousands of Bitnation Citizens and Embassies around the world. ^{src/ Whitepaper}

How it works

^{Source: @pondarj, Free to use}

The ideology behind Bitnation is simple to comprehend: The freedom to choose!

With Bitnation's Pangea ecosystem (a decentralised market for legal services where “citizen” members can execute peer-to-peer agreements which can be created and executed seamlessly across the world), People can build autonomous communities with a set of rules and guidelines (much like any modern-day nation) and get citizens to sign up for such communities.

Also, using blockchain smart contracts that offers interoperability with several blockchains (starting with Ethereum), conflicts between such communities can be resolved amicably without wars or destruction and wastage of properties and resources respectively.

Hence, with Bitnation, If you don't like the services offered by your government, you can change nationality with ease, or simply create yours.

BitNation keeps its focus solely on four levels in the Pangea ecosystem. These four levels have specific areas that allow citizens to utilize BitNation's Pangea ecosystem effectively. They include:^src/

• Global Citizens
• Ally (Allies)
• Embassy or Consulate
• Ambassadors

Naturally, the communities that would thrive in the long term will be those ones with governance models that are more attractive to people, and its values align with the viewpoint of a larger society of users. This will invariably lead to the creation of several governance models by competing communities and could lead to a more stable and lasting solution to some of the current problems with world governance.

For users and community members, it affords utmost sovereignty. with Bitnation, people have the ability to decide which communities they want to belong to, as opposed to the current indigenous communities where people belong to by birth.

The option to leave and join a different nation relieves an individual of every rule he/she was subjected to in the previous nation and automatically makes him/her subject to the governance model of a new community they choose. This is also recorded on the blockchain in real-time.

The benefits range from access to opportunities and social incentives that were otherwise not present in the old community to the freedom experienced in the new nation. It will also allow individuals to build a network of friends and partners with new people over time.

This article was a general overview of what Bitnation is all about and the real world issues it plans to solve with its current Pangea project. In the coming days, we shall consider more complex uses and real implications a platform like this could have to people’s lives.
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