Alternatives to cryptocurrency for seasteads

Frequently, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology (crypto for short) is cited as a necessity for a functioning seastead. In the long term, when or if seasteads are large enough and economically important enough to fight for sovereignty, having your very own currency makes sense.

However, Cryptocurrency works best in places with a robust internet infrastructure to back up digital transactions, and where there is a critical mass of people in an area willing to trade their goods and services for the currency. In the early days of floating hamlets though, better alternatives to crypto exist.

Seasteading Economic Opportunities Overview

This is an attempt to start a conversation about different means of making a living while seasteading. From chatter online, I've heard many of the same intended sources of income: bitcoin and other crypto mining, playing the stock market, tourism, and freelance software engineering.

These strategies won't work. Not because they are bad ways to make a living, but because the supply will quickly outsize the demand, no matter how good each worker is at programming, or how amazing each oceanic hotel is. Somebody has to grow the food for all these service and knowledge workers.

In short, we need economic diversity.

Below are some seasteading-based economic opportunities, arranged by their distinct advantages.