The George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School National Security Institute hosted a webinar on Wednesday, March 30, titled “Crypto and National Security: How to Validate American Innovation and Verify U.S. National Security.” Journalist Laura Shin moderated the discussion. CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation Sheila Warren, executive director of Coin Center Jerry Brito, and global managing partner and chief strategy officer of risk compliance and monitoring firm K2 Integrity Juan Zarate were participants.
After opening comments, the first of three questions posed to the panel concerned American innovation. Brito expressed hope that crypto would be allowed to develop with open access like the Internet did. He spoke of the process as letting “a thousand flowers bloom.” Zarate spoke of using blockchain technologies “to challenge U.S. adversaries.” It will be possible, Zarate said, to reinforce U.S. capital markets and the role of the dollar “if we have a say and a hand in how” the technology is developed. He mentioned, in particular, the use of dollar-denominated stablecoin to the nation’s advantage.