A staff memo has revealed that the U.S. Congress is considering blockchain technology as a means for the Senate to conduct remote voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. The report states that blockchain may be deployed alongside end-to-end encrypted, or E2EE, applications to facilitate voting. The memo was composed after the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations’ Roundtable on Continuity of Senate Operations and Remote Voting in Times of Crisis event. The discussion came as the Senate prepares to reconvene this week. Senate considers DLT-based voting contingency The document states that Congress’ two chambers have always “met in-person to conduct business, including committee …

Following major accusations of insider stock trading during the coronavirus-induced market crash, Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), the former CEO of Bakkt, is liquidating her holdings along with her husband. In an April 8 tweet, Loeffler said that she and her husband Jeffrey Sprecher, CEO of ICE, which is the company that owns Bitcoin (BTC) options contracts regulator Bakkt, are liquidating their holdings in managed accounts to focus on tackling the coronavirus situation. “I’m doing it because the issue isn’t worth the distraction” The former CEO of Bakkt has also published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, emphasizing that …

Kelly Loeffler appeared on Fox News last night to discuss her sale of more than $1 million in equities the day after she attended a private Senate Health Commission hearing about the coronavirus on Jan 23. Loeffler was formerly the CEO of the digital asset custody service, Bakkt, and is the most-recent appointee to the United States Senate. Appearing on Fox News on March 21, Loeffler again sought to distance herself from the decision-making process surrounding her trades, stating: “I’m not involved in the decision around buying and selling, there is a range of different decisions made every day with …

Kelly Loeffler, the former CEO of Intercontinental Exchange subsidiary Bakkt and current Republican senator from Georgia, reportedly sold millions in stock within days of a Senate Health Committee hearing on the novel coronavirus. According to a report from Daily Beast on March 20, the Republican senator reported the first instance of stock jointly owned by her and her husband on Jan. 24 — the same day of the private briefing to United States Senators. Former Bakkt CEO dumps stock after Senate Health Committee hearing In total, she and her husband reportedly executed 27 sales of various stocks throughout February, including …

Former Bakkt CEO and Georgia's new Senator Kelly Loeffler will help oversee major financial regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Sworn into the United States Senate on Jan. 6, the crypto-friendly businesswoman has joined the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees the CFTC. The news was first reported by farm and policy publication Agri-Pulse on Jan. 6, while the official announcement was released on Jan. 7. Potential conflict of interest: CFTC regulates ICE’s markets Loeffler’s appointment to the agriculture committee is potentially setting up a conflict of interest as the new Senator is spouse of Jeffrey Sprecher, founder and CEO …

Kelly Loeffler, former CEO at the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)-backed crypto trading platform Bakkt, has been sworn into the United States Senate. In a Jan. 6 tweet, Loeffler announced that she was sworn into the U.S. Senate by Mike Pence, the Senate’s chief officer, to become Georgia’s newest Senator. Loeffler casts first vote to support Trump’s pickto lead the Small Business Administration In the announcement, Loeffler said that she had already cast her first vote to support U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Small Business Administration, an autonomous U.S. government agency designed to assist small businesses in the country. …

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)’s digital asset platform Bakkt has launched the first regulated Bitcoin (BTC) options and cash-settled futures in the United States. According to an announcement on Dec. 9, Bakkt is now using its physically settled Bitcoin contracts as a benchmark to build complementary products. Bakkt’s monthly futures contract will be a benchmark for other new products The news was announced in a blog post by Bakkt COO Adam White. The post reads: “By starting with the physically delivered Bakkt Bitcoin (USD) Monthly Futures, we have a benchmark contract that provides the foundation for us to develop complementary products …

Coinbase CEO has criticized United States’ senators for asking Stripe, Mastercard and Visa to leave Facebook’s crypto project Libra. “Something feels very un-American about this” After U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Sherrod Brown apparently pressured the payment giants to leave Libra, Brian Armstrong, co-founder and CEO of major U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase, called the action “un-American” in a tweet on Oct. 13. Armstrong wrote: “Something feels very un-american about this. Two senators writing to Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe to ask them to withdraw from Libra.” Senators’ letter pushes payment giants to leave Libra On Oct. 8, senators Schatz and Brown …

Circle co-founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire is scheduled to testify before congress tomorrow as a representative of The Blockchain Association — a business organization comprised of blockchain industry advocates. Allaire will testify before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in an open session hearing called “Examining Regulatory Frameworks for Digital Currencies and Blockchain.” In his prepared testimony released on July 29, Allaire is prepared to discuss a number of relevant issues, including identity, privacy, data security, domestic and international approaches to regulation, as well as the potential of blockchain solutions for finance in the near future. Allaire …

Libra is a “recipe for more corporate power over markets and over consumers,” according to United States Senator Sherrod Brown, ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee. Senator Brown’s recent comments came by way of an official video tweet by political news outlet NowThis News on July 16, posted hours after the Senate Banking Committee hearing on Facebook’s Libra. Brown appeared especially concerned about Facebook gaining the ability to force people to use their money and play by their rules. He remarked: "What happens when Facebook forces businesses to quit accepting your credit card or your debit card? You could …

United States Senators Mike Crapo and Sherrod Brown, respectively the Senate Banking Committee chair and ranking member, shared their views on crypto regulations. Both appear to want comprehensive policy for big tech companies. The senators made their remarks while speaking with the press following the Senate Banking Hearing on Facebook’s Libra on July 16. Senator Crapo stressed the importance of building an overarching regulatory framework for data protection — not just for Facebook, but for all Internet companies looking to launch their own cryptocurrencies, á la the Financial Stability Oversight Council for banks. Crapo said: “We've got to look at …

David Marcus, the head of Calibra at Facebook, has written a letter to Chairwoman Maxine Waters and members of the House Financial Services Committee in preparation for the upcoming Libra hearings, according to a report by The Hill on July 9. According to the report, Marcus wrote, "I want to give you my personal assurance that we are committed to taking the time to do this right.” In addition to being the head of the Calibra wallet, LinkedIn lists David Marcus as the co-creator of Libra. Marcus’ letter is only the latest in a lengthy rally between Congress and Facebook …