BYTHESEA.coin turning ocean plastic waste into cryptocurrency

The third Monday in July in Japan is a national holiday known as Marine Day, dedicated to the ocean and its blessings to Japan as an island nation. The day fell on July 15 this year, and the seaside lifestyle and Shonan travel guide website BYTHESEA.online launched a pilot project of its new cryptocurrency BYTHESEA.coin (BTS). This project is open to anyone who loves the ocean. By taking part in beach cleanups and other activities, participants can receive BTS, and exchange them for goods or services.

BYTHESEA.online believes that they can build a conscious, sustainable seaside community by introducing BTS, which tackles plastic waste and boost the regional economy. There are concerns about the harmful influence of plastic pollution on the ocean’s ecosystem. It is predicted that the ocean will contain more undecomposed plastics than fish by 2050.

In addition, they hope to impact local economic development in Chigasaki-city, where BYTHESEA.online is based. Currently, Chigasaki-city is relatively lacking in economic opportunity, compared to its neighboring cities such as Hiratsuka-city and Fujisawa-city.

With these two social responsibilities in mind, BYTHESEA.online offers four features in BTS. For a start, BTS works as a means to monitor your acts of goodwill. Keeping tabs on your BTS gives you some accountability, which can serve as a source of motivation. At the same time, your account history will be recorded in the BTS app, allowing you to earn credibility through your action.

Second, you can exchange BTS for goods and services offered by people who acknowledge your effort. For example, if you participate in a beach cleanup for one day, you will receive 1 BTS. For a week of beach cleanups (7 BTS), you can exchange your BTS for a bottle of juice. A month of beach cleanups (30 BTS) will earn you a 500-yen voucher. Reach 100 days of beach cleanups? You can then receive a free surf lesson.

Third, you can also request what you would like to receive as a reward for your beach cleanup efforts, including goods and services. Once you find the supporters who agree to your suggestion, it is up to both of you to decide the details of the exchange.

Lastly, your BTS balance changes depending how often you exchange your BTS with your supporters and other users. Since the purpose of introducing BTS is to address the marine plastic problems and stimulate the regional economy, BYTHESEA.online encourages users to take an active role the community.

Amidst the cryptocurrency boom in Japan, it’s still rare to find one like BTS that promotes environmental issues. BYTHESEA.online expects to cultivate a sense of community through their project, filled with mutual respect between ocean-lovers and the power of gratitude.