The Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC) held Congressional Bitcoin Education Day today, a Washington, DC-based event aimed at fostering awareness of bitcoin and its related technology among Congressional staff members in US Congress.
The event saw more than 30 bitcoin professionals from 12 states meet with the staff of six US congressional committees, including those on Financial Services; Science, Space and Technology; Agriculture; Small Business; Energy and Commerce; and Ways and Means.
Speaking to CoinDesk, CDC president Perianne Boring framed the event as part of its ongoing effort to lay the groundwork for increasing its influence in Washington in 2015 and beyond. Further, she noted that the current Congressional recess provides the organisation with an important opportunity to correspond with those who work for members of the government body.
Boring told CoinDesk:
The CDC's goal for the event was to have either personally briefed every office in the US House of Representatives on bitcoin or to have at least delivered education material on the subject to those offices. Boring said that the group secured 70 one-on-one briefings with financial services assistants.
View the gallery below:
Event in action
The day began with a closed briefing during which industry participants prepared for the day's meetings. From 10 am to 12 pm EST and 1:30 pm to 4 pm, meetings were then held with Congressional staffers. The meetings were then followed by a reception lasting until 6 pm.
While the schedule was focused, Boring acknowledged that these meetings were proceeded by substantial preparations, adding:
Notably, US representative and noted bitcoin advocate Steve Stockman was also in attendance, serving as member sponsor for the event and flying in from Texas to welcome participants to the proceedings.
Official sponsors for the event included Banks Worst Fear, Buckley Sandler LLP, eSpend, Tally Capital and Washington DC Bitcoin Users Group.
Educational materials
As for the resources provided to Congressional staffers, Boring said the documents were basic and high-level, providing an overview of bitcoin's use as a financial tool and the wider bitcoin industry with details such as its market capitalization.
Boring told CoinDesk that, as of now, the goal is to provide as much information as possible to those working for US lawmakers, and to introduce them to the CDC and its work.
She said:
Still, Boring stressed that the CDC is only just getting started, and that this is the beginning of a long-term strategy, concluding:
Images courtesy of the Chamber of Digital Commerce