Congressman Jared Polis is an admittedly big fan of bitcoin. Now he plans to use his stature as a lawmaker to legitimize the virtual currency.
Bank Innovation has learned that Congressman Polis will be hosting the bitcoin demo day in Washington, D.C., which is rumored to take place July 29. The Congressman’s office will be running the event, and Polis is said to be reaching out to other lawmakers to attend. We’ve reached out to the congressman’s office and will update this post when they respond.
We reported earlier this week about the possibility of a bitcoin demo day in D.C. in July to educate people in the nation’s capital. Washington, D.C., is an important area for bitcoin enthusiasts — educating and teaching legislators and regulators about virtual currency and bitcoin is important, especially with so many misconceptions surrounding the topic.
No word yet on which companies will attend, but sources tell Bank Innovation that the congressman will be inviting some of the biggest bitcoin startups to present at the demo day. We previously reported that Ripple Labs had been in the District of Columbia, talking to legislators about regulatory issues. Similarly, BitFury, a mining company with aspirations of being listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has a presence in Washington, D.C.
Bitcoin is an area of interest for those in D.C. With Canada just recently passing a law on virtual currencies and the U.S. Marshall’s auctioning off bitcoin seized in the Silk Road takedown, governments are becoming more involved with cryptocurrency. The demo day later this month will not only help legitimize bitcoin in the eyes of some lawmakers, but will also give bitcoin proponents the opportunity to state their case in the nation’s capital.