26th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Digital Assets and the Future of Money

Hon. Heath Tarbert shared his perspective on when he first became aware of the significance of cryptocurrency. He mentioned that it was around the same time he was working on various issues related to national security and the future of the U.S.-China relationship while serving as the U.S. Representative at the Financial Stability Board. Hon. Tarbert highlighted a pivotal moment when Mark Carney, the president of the UK’s Bank of England, informed him about Facebook’s plans to create a new global currency that could potentially surpass traditional currencies worldwide. This revelation served as his initial introduction to the concept of cryptocurrency, particularly the idea of money operating on public blockchains over the internet. Hon. Tarbert acknowledged that while he had heard of Bitcoin before, it was at that moment he realized the transformative potential and significance of cryptocurrencies.