In proper 2018 fashion, the royal wedding now has its very own cryptocurrency

By Luke Dormehl April 6, 2018

When folks get married, it’s not unheard of for them to get a bit of money from friends and family to set them up in their new lives as a married couple. But not all of us can expect to be gifted an entirely new currency, created to celebrate our nuptials. Things are a bit different if you’re a member of the U.K.’s Royal Family, though.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot on May 19 this year, they’re being gifted a new cryptocurrency, called the Royal Coin, that’s been established to commemorate their wedding. The Royal Coin had its initial coin offering (ICO) this week, underwritten by ICO Rocket. It’s endorsed by the British Monarchist Society and Foundation, and proceeds from its tokensale are being divided between Harry and Meghan’s favorite charities. Part of the proceeds will also go to the Crown and Country Magazine to help fund a special Royal Wedding edition.

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“The Royal Coin is a decentralized wedding gift to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Miss Meghan Markle,” Shahar Namer, CEO of ICO Rocket, told Digital Trends. “Participants in the ICO have access to a unique offering, by celebrating the Royal wedding as well as contributing funds to three charitable organizations officially approved by Kensington Palace. It is not only a commemorative investment, but also a gift to the couple and [their selected] charities.”

The three charities the proceeds will be split between include Lesotho children’s charity Sentebale, The Invictus Games, and the Royal Foundation. “The coin was born out of the goal of engaging people to be a part of the Royal Wedding in an entirely new and modern way, while supporting three good causes as a gift to the royal couple,” Namer continued. “It is a 2018 way to celebrate great British pageantry.”

Will it catch on like Bitcoin or is this doomed to be another also-ran cryptocurrency that fails to make waves? For the sake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle we hope it’s the first option. After all, the thought of your very own commemorative cryptocurrency going belly-up isn’t the most promising of omens for a happy marriage!

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I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

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