This news is on the brink of being a part of a dystopian horror story, but it’s 2019 and literally anything could happen, right?  Seoul, the capital of South Korea has announced a plan to create a cryptocurrency based currency that will be used to reward citizens. A similar points based rewards system has been seen in China recently. If you’re ever watched Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror you might be feeling a little uneasy right now. A rewards system for citizens is essentially one that gives back to people for good behaviour, to people who exist well under the expectations of the government, or authorities.  Sort of like how prisons reward prisoners for being good, right? A cryptocurrency based platform such as the one discussed by authorities in Seoul would use work records and data from employers to reward citizens with tokens that could be accessed via a QR code. These tokens could then be exchanged for products and services within the city. According to Coindesk, it’s been mentioned that initial deadlines for this project could come as soon as November: “Three priorities were set for completion by the November deadline. The city’s blockchain points system will be introduced and residents of Seoul will receive S-coins for the use of public services. They will be able to redeem those points for rewards. Services that generate the coins include paying taxes and participating in public opinion polls.” Furthermore: “By the end of the year Seoul would like to have its part-time workers rights program up and running. The blockchain-based system will allow part-time and temporary employees to sign simple contracts with employers, keep track of their work histories, and maintain time sheets. It will also help them properly register for the county’s four major social insurance programs. The aim is to improve trust and relations between small companies and part-time workers.” Creepy right? Ok so this could be a good idea, a system that rewards citizens for good behaviour seems more promising than one that only punishes people for bad behaviour, though tracking through the blockchain does sound rather dystopian. It’ll be interesting to see how this rolls out and what sort of impact this will have on the local community in Seoul. The only thing we can hope is that the authorities don’t abuse this and that the data security of all users is always kept as the main priority.