# Secure National Cryptocurrencies Estonia is Working Toward Releasing Estcoin as National Currency By Joey Haar | Published 2017-08-23 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/estcoin References: [thenextweb](https://thenextweb.com/eu/2017/08/23/estonia-could-be-the-first-country-with-an-official-cryptocoin/#.tnw_pEMizteu) & [medium](https://medium.com/e-residency-blog/estonia-could-offer-estcoins-to-e-residents-a3a5a5d3c894) People usually look to Silicon Valley for cutting edge technological developments, but Estcoin shows that the Californian tech hub is handcuffed in ways that other regions aren't. Estcoin is a newly announced [cryptocurrency](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cryptocurrency-ecosystem) in the works in Estonia, and it's slated to be the world's first [nationalized digital currency](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/circle-alliance-program). Silicon Valley and San Francisco are large cities within a state and country; those areas can develop all the tech they want, but implementation is hindered by the necessarily slow pace of government regulations on a broad scale. Small countries like Estonia, on the other hand, face far fewer barriers to implementing national tech policies — if the political will is there, the path is clear for tech innovators. Estcoin is a show of that freedom: the idea was developed as part of Estonia's [e-Residency program](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stateless-payment), a nationally funded think tank devoted to keeping the small European country on the cutting edge of the digital world. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 62% | Activity: 85% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Regional](https://www.trendhunter.com/regional) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Nationalized Cryptocurrencies:** The development of nationalized cryptocurrencies presents disruptive innovation opportunities for governments to modernize their financial systems and enhance digital transactions. - **Digital Innovation in Small Countries:** Small countries like Estonia have the potential to leverage their agility and political will to implement tech policies and drive digital innovation in various sectors. - **Government-backed Digital Currencies:** The rise of government-backed digital currencies opens up new avenues for financial inclusion and secure peer-to-peer transactions globally. ### Where This Applies - **Financial Services:** The financial services industry has an opportunity to explore new business models and partnerships to support and integrate nationalized cryptocurrencies into their existing offerings. - **Regulatory Technology:** The regulatory technology industry can develop solutions to address the challenges of implementing nationalized cryptocurrencies while ensuring compliance and security. - **Digital Governance:** The digital governance sector can work towards establishing frameworks and policies to guide the development and adoption of government-backed digital currencies at a global scale. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Emblematic Government NFTs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/royal-mint.md) - [Blockchain Postage Stamps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crypto-stamps.md) - [Non-Custodial Crypto Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cryptocurrency-wallet-1.md) - [Crypto-Compatible Investment Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cryptocompatible-investment-app.md) - [Sophisticated Hardware Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ledger-stax.md) - [Cryptocurrency Investor-Focused Loyalty Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luxury-real-estate-program.md) - [Self-Custodial Crypto Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gamestop-wallet.md) - [Crypto Space Exploration Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unistellar.md) - [Cryptocurrency Payment Acceptance Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cryptocurrency-payment-acceptance.md)