Coin Center holds major Capitol Hill briefing for senior congressional staff
The well attended event included top policymakers highlighting their support of the freedom to innovate using blockchain technologies.
Today Coin Center hosted a briefing on Bitcoin for over 50 senior congressional staff. Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, together with Representatives Jared Polis and Mick Mulvaney, spoke at the event and highlighted their support of the freedom to innovate using blockchain technologies.
Panelists included Circle’s John Beccia, Ryan Shea of Onename, Case Wallet’s Melanie Shapiro, and BitFury advisor Jason Weinstein. After a presentation on how the Bitcoin network functions, each panelist talked about their respective places in the network’s ecosystem and how different regulations could affect the innovations they are bringing to consumers. Later in the day we met with about a half dozen Senate staffers in a separate briefing.
Much of the work Coin Center does is educating policymakers about cryptocurrencies, the blockchain, and the consequences of regulation. Sometimes that means a major briefing event like today’s, but typically it means building one-on-one relationships with policymakers interested in the ecosystem. There’s not a week that goes by that we’re not on Capitol Hill or at an executive or independent agency, sitting down with staffers and political appointees, answering their questions about Bitcoin and helping them think through the best course for policy.
The good news is that the overwhelming majority of folks we talk to quickly understand the importance and innovative potential of digital currencies and want to make sure regulation does not impede its development. And Coin Center’s policy research and advocacy for a sensible regulatory approach helps them meet that desire. We’re thrilled to have had such great interest from policymakers at our event today, and we’re looking forward to carrying on the conversation.