Netherlands
Holland became known as a friendly jurisdiction for crypto consumer spending early on in the Bitcoin phenomenon, with multiple merchants opting to accept it for payments several years ago.
In June, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport installed Europe’s first Bitcoin ATM in such a location.
Since then as markets have matured, regulators have adopted a more cautious approach, recently voicing concerns about token investments and legal adherence. Like various other central banking institutions meanwhile, Hielkema was palpably more upbeat about Blockchain technology.
“We have been experimenting with the technology for the past three years and have developed four prototypes,” she confirmed.
The act of championing Blockchain over Bitcoin has formed a central point of criticism from within the cryptocurrency industry, educator Andreas Antonopoulos warning that such a perspective means a party “does not understand” the space.