Man who coined ‘Blockchain island’ says term became ‘moniker of most nefarious significance’

The man who coined the term ‘Blockchain island’ for Malta back in 2016 has said that the term has become a ‘moniker of the most nefarious significance.’

Steve Tendon, in an email to members of the Blockchain Island Club (BIC), which he had founded back in 2018, slammed the Maltese government and decided to take down the BIC community site and LinkedIn Group.

“As you know, I literally coined the term ‘Blockchain Island’ in 2016 while drafting the National Blockchain Strategy for Malta. The term became a synonym with Malta and it’s drive for Blockchain Technologies. Or, at least that was the intention,” he writes.

“The Maltese Government disregarded most of the recommendations in the strategy document, and paid only lip service to the development of Blockchain Technologies. Instead, the initiative turned into a wild crypto adventure for the entire country.”

Tendon said that a never ending “tragedy of errors” followed. 

“Now, with all the grievous events, criminal acts and wide-spread corruption of the Maltese Government, and the recent FATF grey-listing of the country, the very term ‘Blockchain Island’ has become a moniker of the most nefarious significance. I cannot bear to be even remotely associated with all of that – and therefore the decision to take down the BIC.”

Tendon also said that he is “withdrawing from any further public roles in the Blockchain space, as I would always be associated with that Blockchain Island.”