Trump Treasury Pick Bessent Opposes Idea of U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency

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U.S. senators questioning President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, didn't walk overmuch clip connected cryptocurrency issues successful his information hearing connected Thursday. But helium had a accidental to registry beardown absorption to a U.S. cardinal slope integer currency (CBDC) and to enactment that helium favors a modern outlook connected crypto.

The billionaire hedge money manager told the Senate Finance Committee, which is acceptable to see confirmation of his nomination, that the Federal Reserve shouldn’t contented a integer dollar — a arguable thought that's wide seen by the crypto manufacture arsenic a governmental incursion connected its turf.

"I spot nary crushed for the U.S. to person a cardinal slope integer currency," helium said. "In my mind, a cardinal slope integer currency is for countries who person nary different concern alternatives."

Dozens of countries astir the world, notably China, person launched oregon piloted CBDCs. But Bessent they person mostly pursued them retired “out of necessity," and that the U.S. has nary need.

Read More: U.S. Fed Chair Powell Says 'Nowhere Near' Pursuing CBDC, Won't Spy connected Americans

At different constituent successful Thursday's hearing, helium was asked astir the department's financial-crimes arm, and successful the discourse of violent financing, helium said, "I judge we person to person a 2025 attack to … integer currencies."

The sentiment was immediately embraced by the crypto-backed Ceder Innovation Foundation successful a social-media post, saying, "Too galore politicians person been moving with a 20th period outlook which not lone hurts integer innovators, but besides planetary security."

Bessent, who made his luck successful hedge funds, shed hundreds of thousands of dollars successful a bitcoin exchange-traded money concern aft accepting Trump's nomination, demonstrating he's had skin-in-the-game to backmost up his pro-crypto rhetoric.

"Crypto is astir state and the crypto system is present to stay," helium said successful an interrogation with Fox Business successful July.

Read More: Trump Picks Pro-Crypto Hedge Fund Manager Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary

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