Senate Banking Committee rating member Elizabeth Warren has reportedly despatched a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, urging them to not bail out “cryptocurrency billionaires” with taxpayer {dollars}.
Warren warned that any potential bailout “can be deeply unpopular to switch wealth from American taxpayers to cryptocurrency billionaires,” including that it may additionally “straight enrich President Trump and his household’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Monetary, in line with CNBC.
The letter comes as Bitcoin (BTC) costs have fallen greater than 50% from their all-time excessive in October, hitting a neighborhood low of $60,000 on Feb. 6.
The letter additionally got here on the identical day that World Liberty Monetary hosted its first “World Liberty Discussion board” for crypto executives and pro-industry policymakers on the President’s personal Mar-a-Lago membership in Palm Seashore, Florida.
The US authorities is retaining seized Bitcoin
Senator Warren additionally referenced the Monetary Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report listening to on Feb. 4, throughout which Secretary Bessent was requested about his authority to bail out the crypto {industry}.
In the course of the listening to, Congressman Brad Sherman requested Bessent if the Treasury Division “has the authority to bail out Bitcoin?” or instruct banks to purchase Bitcoin or Trumpcoin (TRUMP).
A bemused Bessent requested for clarification on the query, stating that “throughout the context of asset diversification inside banks, they may maintain many belongings.”
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Sherman additionally expressed concern that US tax {dollars} could be invested in crypto belongings. “Why would a non-public financial institution be your tax {dollars}?” requested the Treasury secretary.
Bessent confirmed that “we’re retaining seized Bitcoin,” which isn’t tax cash, however an “asset of the US authorities.”
Senator Warren claims response was deflection
Warren noticed the trade in another way, stating in her letter that Bessent “deflected.”
“It’s deeply unclear what, if any, plans the US authorities at the moment has to intervene within the present Bitcoin selloff,” she wrote.
“Finally, any authorities intervention to stabilize Bitcoin would disproportionately profit crypto billionaires.”
“Your businesses should chorus from propping up Bitcoin and transferring wealth from taxpayers to crypto billionaires by way of direct purchases, ensures, or liquidity amenities,” the letter reportedly said.
Cointelegraph reached out to Warren and the Treasury for remark, however didn’t obtain an instantaneous response. A Federal Reserve spokesman confirmed they’d acquired the letter however declined to remark.
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