Chapter 10. Chamber of Digital Commerce: Blockchain and Government
It is necessary to strengthen basic research, enhance innovation…and strive to let China take the leading position in the emerging field of blockchain.1
—Xi Jinping, president, People’s Republic of China
When Xi Jinping made this statement in the fall of 2019, it drew a line in the sand: China was getting serious about blockchain.
Those in the blockchain community already knew that China had been quietly expanding its expertise in the emerging technology, while the US still had no formal government policy on blockchain. While the US was a confused mishmash of regulations, China was publicly taking the lead.
It was a Sputnik moment. But unlike the 1960s space race, this one would play out in cyberspace.
Perianne Boring had seen it coming. Years earlier, she had founded the Chamber of Digital Commerce in preparation for this moment. In spite of encouraging a proactive approach, she saw that the US would now have to be reactive if it was going to catch up to China and the rest of the world.
She and the Chamber had built their organization to galvanize US response and get the wheels of blockchain innovation turning. The big question: who would listen?
The Origin Story
Having the opportunity to cover bitcoin in 2013 was the greatest gift a journalist could ask for.2
—Perianne Boring, founder and president, Chamber of Digital Commerce
Perianne was working on Capitol Hill when she first learned about bitcoin in 2011. ...
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