Politico media firm featured Timothy Wu, a prime tech advisor for the Biden administration just lately. The media shops cited a private monetary disclosure that Wu just lately filed and estimated that he owns between $1 million and $5 million in Bitcoin.
The adviser additionally owns between $100,001 and $250,000 in Filecoin, which gives decentralised crypto storage companies.
Politico disclosed that Wu’s Bitcoin funding is the most important holding in his monetary portfolio.
In March, US president Joe Biden appointed Tim Wu as a particular assistant for expertise and competitors coverage professional on the Nationwide Financial Council. Wu used to show as a legislation professor at Columbia College earlier than becoming a member of the White Home. Previously, Wu labored in several capacities on the Federal Commerce Fee and the Nationwide Financial Council underneath former president Barrack Obama’s administration.
Though his investments have been revealed, Wu had been a Bitcoin critic prior to now. In 2017, he questioned the price of Bitcoin, calling it a “bubble”. Throughout that point, Wu wrote an article the place he claimed that “Bitcoin isn’t backed by any sovereign, and in contrast to a inventory or a bond, it provides you a declare to nothing apart from Bitcoin itself.” Within the article, he described Bitcoin’s potential as working properly however doubted its usability for on a regular basis funds.
However just lately, Wu modified his thoughts and has turn out to be a distinguished crypto investor. He at the moment owns huge quantities of cryptocurrency investments.
Regardless of being a prime expertise adviser and antitrust professional on the White Home, Wu is just not concerned in shaping the Biden administration’s cryptocurrency coverage.
Nameless White Home official advised Politico: “Tim is recused from any explicit issues involving Bitcoin or cryptocurrency typically due to his monetary curiosity and has not labored on any such issues.”
Other than that, Wu has been a longtime critic of the ability that massive Tech corporations possess. He has written a number of educational papers about communication, data platforms, the web, and some books. In 2002, Wu coined the time period “web neutrality”, speaking about the necessity to preserve the web impartial and highlighted the issues of community discrimination practised by broadband operators.
Biden Administration Involved Over Crypto Market
The Biden administration, central bankers, and lawmakers look like very involved about recent challenges posed by Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as a complete, conferring in a number of conferences amid latest volatility in crypto belongings.
Final month, White Home officers had been briefed by workers members on the Treasury Division in regards to the dangers posed by cryptocurrencies.
Administration officers are finding out potential “gaps” in oversight associated to the cryptocurrency market, like whether or not it may be used to facilitate terrorist actions or finance illicit actions. They’ve additionally held discussions to find out whether or not some protections are required for common retail buyers shopping for crypto belongings.
The Treasury Division and the White Home have publicly backed a brand new plan to focus on cryptocurrency as a part of a broader effort to handle tax evasion.
In February, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen warned in regards to the risks that Bitcoin poses to the general public and buyers. Yellen famous that Bitcoin is a extremely speculative asset and apprehensive about potential losses that buyers can endure. Moreover that, Yellen cited points associating cryptocurrencies with cash laundering and illicit financing actions.
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