Jerry Brito: The Case for Electronic Cash in an Open and Free Society

We’re joined by Jerry Brito, Executive Director of Coin Center. Having discovered Bitcoin in 2011, Jerry was among the first lawyers to talk about crypto in the U.S. capital. In 2014, he founded Coin Center, a leading research and advocacy center focussing on cryptocurrencies.

In this enlightening conversation, we talk to Jerry about his paper titled “The Case for Electronic Cash,” in which he articulates why private peer-to-peer payments are essential to an open society. We also discuss Libra and the possible regulatory challenges the proposed private cash system may face. Finally, Jerry explains the recent FinCEN guidance on cryptocurrencies, which broadly follows the recommendations of Coin Center.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Jerry’s background as a lawyer and his crypto beginnings in D.C.
• Coin Center, it’s mission and the primary battles which the organization is fighting
• “The Case for Electronic Cash” paper and why cash is vital for a free and open society
• The main dysfunctions of cashless societies
• Jerry’s high-level views on Libra
• How Libra is different from other cryptocurrencies and electronic payment systems
• The backlash immediately following the announcement and how it was received by governments
• Ways in which Libra could be regulated
• The recent FinCEN guidance and how it affects cryptocurrency users and companies

Episode links:

• Coin Center
• Jerry Brito's website
• FinCEN’s new cryptocurrency guidance matches Coin Center recommendations
• The Case for Electronic Cash
• The differences between Bitcoin and Libra should matter to policymakers
• Jerry's thoughts on Libra (tweetsorm)
• Jerry response to Libra Association's Head of Policy on sanction's list (tweetsorm)
• Buidl Asia
• HackAtom Seoul
• DappCon – 20% off with the code “EpicenterDappcon2019”
• Announcing the Chorus One Podcast
• Cosmology – A newsletter about the Cosmos network

Sponsors:

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This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Meher Roy. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/296