A member of Tonga's parliament plans to draft legislation to make the cryptocurrency bitcoin legal tender in the kingdom.
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Lord Fusitu'a told the Financial Review this week that his bitcoin bill will go before parliament for consideration in May next year.
A vocal advocate of cryptocurrency on social media, the MP said a central tenet of Tonga's economy would benefit by making bitcoin legal tender alongside the existing state currency - the Pa'anga.
He said Tonga was highly dependent on remittances, but that for people to send their earnings back to the country, agencies such as Western Union take a 30 percent cut, on average.
Lord Fusitu'a said cryptocurrency cuts out the middle man.
