Category: Dual-use tech

On the first day of this year’s DC Blockchain Summit in Washington, D.C., concern that a heavy-handed approach from the federal government may stifle blockchain innovation within the u. s. was lessened by the regulators themselves, who told attendees that they often support permitting the technology to flourish.

That message was bolstered on day 2 of the conference, when U.S. Representative Tom emmer (R-Minnesota), a lawmaker who has taken on blockchain as a difficulty on capitol hill. Emmer, who co-chairs the legislative assembly Blockchain Caucus, expected that 2019 “stands to be the year of blockchain, the year we separate hype from reality, and begin harnessing blockchain in the right-use cases to lower costs and increase efficiency,” he told attendees on March seven.
But he conjointly stressed the requirement for coordinated government oversight. “Congress has a clear role: we must insure that regulation is simple and precise,” Emmer said. “If a patchwork of regulations emerges, the industry will suffer, and prove government to be ineffective. This confusion will beyond question result in a lot of regulation, which is able to solely stifle the innovation and potential application of the technology.”

The financial stakes were highlighted throughout the conference once it absolutely was noted that there’s $130 billion in price presently being keep in public blockchain networks, and that ten percent of the world’s gross domestic product is predicted to be stored by 2025.

Emmer counseled the Chamber of Digital Commerce for releasing its National Action plan for Blockchain, that necessitate a pro-growth restrictive approach to developing blockchain technology within the U.S. The document specifically mentions however the technology is already being applied in supply chain networks for following food safety.

“The National Action plan also provides a required need clear regulation before enforcement. although regulators of blockchain and cryptocurrency have been considerably restrained and have allowed innovation during this area to flourish, we’re presently operating beneath ‘regulation by enforcement.’ Regulators should offer clear rules of the road to make sure that even the tiniest start-up with a superb plan will become a serious enterprise.”

Emmer said he’s doing his half to hurry the expansion of blockchain within the U.S. through his Blockchain regulatory Certainty Act, a bill he introduced in January. The legislation ensures that blockchain developers that never take charge of client funds don’t have to register as a cash transmitter within the states in which they operate.

“Money transmitter laws were enacted to ensure the protection of the buyer entrusting another entity with their funds so as to transmit them. If no funds are being entrusted to a different, it ought to make sure that these rules don’t apply,” he said