BUSINESS

President Trump has proposed the Federal government hold digital currencies, and some media and political people have pushed back with dire warnings of the impact on the U.S. dollar. But the reality of Trump’s proposal differs sharply from that painted by Trump’s hysteric critics. BTC is not a threat to the U.S. dollar and U.S. government holding of BTC or any other digital currencies is not an endorsement.

The U.S. dollar still dominates the world, representing nearly 60% of all currency held by central banks, as of Dec. 2024, according to the IMF. Unlike fiat currencies, bitcoin and other digital currencies are not governed by any central bank. So, there is no way to ever have an adversarial relationship with the issuer of BTC – unlike the issuer of Chinese yuan or Russian rubles.

Most of the forex reserves held by the U.S. are euros and Chinese yuan. But no one is calling for the U.S. to stop holding euros. That’s because holding a currency in reserve is not an endorsement of that currency. Countries hold forex reserves primarily for liquidity purposes – mainly to facilitate foreign trade with counterparties using the other currency. And, since BTC and ETH are the largest digital currencies, the most liquid and the largest volume of USD transactions, it makes sense for the U.S. to hold those currencies.

Most importantly, the U.S. dollar dwarfs BTC in size. USD value is more than 1,150x larger than BTC at $2,300 billion USD versus about $2 billion for BTC. And BTC ranked as only the 16th largest foreign currency in the world, measured by USD, as of the start of 2024. So, if the U.S. held 50,000 BTC, it would represent less than 5% of its foreign currency reserve holdings.

Further, the U.S. has extensive reserves of gold and silver, neither of which is used any longer as currency by any major country. There does not seem to be any risk these U.S. holdings will be deemed to be an endorsement of gold as a currency, though gold is held by the U.S., in part, because it is a good store-of-value.

Critics of digital currencies argue they have no inherent value – but that is like saying a Picasso has no inherent value, aside from the inherent value of dried paint and an old canvas. What a Picasso has is social value and scarcity value – the same sources of value as BTC. Bitcoin’s social value derives from its objective to serve a role outside control of governments. Its scarcity value acts to support BTC’s price and enhances its utility as a store-of-value.

There’s another reason for the U.S. to hold virtual currencies. They represent a major leap in financial technology and it is in the paramount interest of the United States to be at the forefront of fintech. It’s not only to make the U.S. the most efficient financial player, but also to be best prepared for changes that may come in the future. Blockchain technology has proven to have many uses beyond digital currencies, including reducing transaction costs thereby benefiting all consumers.

So, not only is Trump’s proposal based on solid economics and consistent with holdings of other foreign currencies, but, also, it gives a boost to the fintech sector. It is smart and forward-looking. Sounds like a double win for the U.S.

A man who says he lost $784 million worth of bitcoin (BTC) in a landfill site is talking to investors about potentially buying the land, the BBC reported on Monday.

“I have discussed this option recently with investment partners and it is very much on the table,” James Howells said, according the BBC.

Howells said his ex-girlfriend mistakenly threw out a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoin in the landfill site on Newport’s Docks Way in 2013. Over the last decade he has made requests to Newport Council to try to retrieve it, and said he was largely ignored. Newport Council declined to comment, the BBC said.

He tried to sue the council for 495 million pounds ($646 million), the peak valuation of the bitcoin in early 2024, but his case was dismissed by the judge in January. The authority plans to close the site in the coming financial year and has permission to build a solar power farm on the land.

For the past century, the U.S. has reigned as the economic superpower of the world. The key to this sustained economic might is a regulatory environment that encourages and enables technological innovation. From semiconductors to personal computers to internet 1.0 and 2.0, U.S. companies have led in developing cutting-edge technologies because our country empowers its builders and creators. Unfortunately, when it comes to Web3 – the next generation of the internet built on blockchain, digital assets, and cryptocurrencies – we are trailing and are at risk of falling further behind.

In 2023, the European Union passed comprehensive cryptocurrency regulation [americanbar.org], and numerous meaningful provisions went into effect this past summer. China’s central bank has been promoting its digital yuan [forbes.com], which threatens the U.S. dollar’s role as the global reserve currency. The U.S. is just watching, while our opponents move pieces on the chessboard.

It is absolutely essential to our country’s future that the U.S. enact clear and sensible cryptocurrency regulations that foster innovation and keep Web3 jobs within our borders, protect consumers, and maintain the dominance of the U.S. dollar.

We should start with stablecoins.

For newcomers, stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose values are pegged to national currencies or high-quality financial assets. This gives them stability and enables them to play a crucial role in the digital economy, where they combine the transaction speed and low cost of digital assets with the price stability of traditional reserve currencies. The U.S. is already playing a major role in this space. According to one report, more than 95% of stablecoins are “linked to the U.S. dollar.”

The many use cases of stablecoins have earned them support from policymakers across the ideological spectrum. Conservatives value their low-cost, frictionless and instantaneous payment abilities, which can lower costs on merchants and consumers and spur startups and economic activity. Progressives appreciate their use in lowering the cost of remittances and reaching the underbanked and underserved, and their ability to increase access to basic financial services.

It must be acknowledged that, as with any new technology, stablecoins have challenges. Some stablecoins, backed by complex algorithms instead of stable reserve currency, have collapsed due to design flaws. Additionally, unlike bank deposits, stablecoins are not FDIC insured, creating risks should the issuer go bankrupt. While concerns have been raised about money laundering, stablecoins aren’t misused for this purpose any more than traditional cash. But for the public to have confidence in stablecoins, and for businesses to adopt them, we need clear regulations to provide consumer protection, to govern issuers and to guard against money laundering.

The bipartisan Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which I introduced Feb. 4 alongside Senators Bill Hagerty, Cynthia Lummis, and Tim Scott, will address these challenges, and create a clear regulatory environment that enables the cryptocurrency environment to thrive.

It protects consumers by holding stablecoin issuers to strict reserve requirements, requiring them to maintain one-to-one reserves in cash and cash equivalents. The bill prohibits the issuing of unbacked, algorithmic stablecoins, the collapse of which have led to substantial losses. To address their use for illicit purposes, it requires approved stablecoin issuers to comply with U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions rules. Finally, the bill clarifies rules around conservatorship and procedure should a stablecoin issuer experience insolvency.

While this bill will undoubtedly be tweaked as it moves through Congress, it has already received input from a wide swath of stakeholders, including industry participants, academic experts and federal regulators. It’s a true bipartisan effort that will empower innovators and builders while simultaneously rooting out bad actors.

Laying the groundwork for the next century of American exceptionalism is a mission that should unite us all, and positioning the United States at the leading edge of the next iteration of the internet is key to that goal. Stablecoins are already playing an important role, and it’s critical we act now to maintain our position as the leader in global economic competitiveness.