Blockchain Interest Spreads on Capitol Hill
The blockchain has indeed reached the White House, and there are signs awareness of the emerging technology is increasing on Capitol Hill. Following an event with several of President Barack Obama’s top technological advisors last month, an increasing number of public policy meetings are now taking place in and around Washington, DC. On Friday, Secretary Penny Pritzker of the US Department of Commerce joined special assistant to the president for economic policy Adrienne Harris and other top White House officials for an event featuring a lecture from Brian Forde, director of digital....
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It's been a big week for blockchain on Capitol Hill. While only Wednesday, the week has already seen the launch of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus (an effort led by Rep Jared Polis and Rep Mick Mulvaney), and the opening of the DC Blockchain Center, an information hub for policymakers. The two initiatives reflect the growing interest around the technology in the US capitol. Though interest has existed for some time – Polis himself began accepting bitcoin donations in 2014 – recent developments suggest the groundwork is being laid for more activity in the year ahead. Polis said of the....
The first Bitcoin ATM was unveiled in Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. “Bitcoin is digital decentralized currency and Robocoin is the easiest way for people to buy and sell Bitcoin with cash,” said Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley. "We're honored to be the first bitcoin company to demo and educate officials about bitcoin on Capitol Hill." “I have a healthy dose of skepticism but it’s positive skepticism. Things are always changing and we live in a global economy now,” said Hank Johnson, Democrat Congressman in the interview to Reuters. Robocoin was the first company to represent the....
Cryptocurrency advocacy group, Coin Center has started educating the US Congress about Bitcoin and blockchain technology. A large-scale implementation of any new technology is only effective when there is active collaboration between the private and public sectors. The same holds good for cryptocurrency technology. The cryptocurrency community is still a niche segment. A majority of the world’s population, including politicians and bureaucrats, is still in the dark about how the entire Bitcoin network works. Coin Center, a non-profit cryptocurrency research and advocacy group based out of....
Falcon Global Capital has filed to register lobbyists on Capitol Hill in an effort to further "education and understanding of bitcoin and other crypto-graphic based currencies". Greater bitcoin discussion in Congress should give lawmakers more familiarity and comfort with the concept, currently misrepresented by its scandals and its volatility. Co-founder Brett Stapper said: "In our discussions and debates we have realized that those who oppose bitcoin don't really oppose it, they simply don't understand it." Though more US politicians are taking an active interest in the technology,....
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) hosted a group of regulators and members of the financial industry in Washington, DC, for a discussion on blockchain tech last month. The event, held on Capitol Hill, was designed by the DTCC to give regulators and other financial industry stakeholders a chance to ask questions directly to blockchain experts. In a blog posted yesterday, DTCC managing director Mark Wetjen said of the event: "It is important that we engage policy makers and regulators from the beginning of this process. New technologies are creating tremendous....