Several top executives of cryptocurrency-related companies are expected to testify before the House Financial Services Committee on December 8.
According to the title of the hearing, its purpose is to understand the challenges and benefits of financial innovation with regard to digital assets. In a statement announcing next week’s hearing, Committee Chair Maxine Waters emphasized ensuring there is “accountability of large financial institutions and emerging tech products and services.”
Witness list
At the top of the list of those summoned to make an appearance is Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of crypto exchange FTX. Since founding the exchange in 2019, the 29-year-old’s profile has risen dramatically, inking promotion deals with the likes of NFL legend Tom Brady. He is also reputed to be the wealthiest crypto billionaire, having amassed a fortune of $22 billion, most of which he has pledged to charity.
Another high-profile name expected to speak is Brian Brooks, who was briefly CEO of the US arm of Binance earlier this year, after serving as the Trump administration’s acting comptroller of the currency. Brooks now runs crypto miner Bitfury Group Ltd. The biggest crypto exchange in the US will also be represented by Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas.
Besides exchanges, the witness list indicates the discussion will also involve stablecoins and payment networks. It includes Jeremy Allaire, Chad Cascarilla, the chief executives of Circle Internet Financial Inc and Paxos Trust Company respectively, each of which helps operate one of the largest stablecoins. Finally, Denelle Dixon, CEO of Stellar Development Foundation, which supports a crypto payments network, is also expected to make an appearance.
Crypto politics
As the overall cryptocurrency market breaches the $3 trillion threshold, US authorities have become increasingly animated over addressing the needs for regulation. While Democrats, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, have generally been leery and called for greater precautionary measures, Republicans like Patrick McHenry, the highest-ranking member of the GOP on the House panel, prefer not to stifle innovation.
Additionally, in their efforts to pursue compliance, federal regulators including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission increasingly find themselves at odds over jurisdiction responsibilities.
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