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Facebook Libra cryptocurrency hearings with Congress Day 1: Watch here

The internet giant will appear before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET.

Ian Sherr Contributor and Former Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. As an editor at large at CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
Ian Sherr
2 min read

Facebook is already the world's largest tech news site. Now it wants to change the way we use money online.

The company is planning to spend two days on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, this discussing its Libra cryptocurrency, a form of digital money that's being backed by a consortium of companies including MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Uber, eBay and Vodafone. If successful, Facebook says Libra could allow people who don't have access to banks to still be able to store and manage their money, and it'll work more easily on the internet.

USA, Columbia, Washington DC, Capitol Building

Facebook will be heading to Capitol Hill to discuss its upcoming Libra digital coin Tuesday and Wednesday.

Getty Images

Regulators, wary of Facebook's long list of screw-ups in election interference and privacy, have raised concerns. Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, said he has "very serious concerns" about Libra. Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said he has "many serious concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection and financial stability." President Donald Trump meanwhile has expressed concerns about how the value of cryptocurrencies "is highly volatile and based on thin air."


When

The hearing, called "Examining Facebook's Proposed Digital Currency and Data Privacy Considerations," will begin Tuesday at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET. There will be a second day of Libra-related testimony on Wednesday. 

Where

Day One will be livestreamed on the Senate Banking Committee's website.

What we can expect

David Marcus, a powerful Facebook exec heading up the company's involvement in Libra, will be at the hearing. According to his testimony posted online, he plans to discuss how Libra works and why he believes Facebook is the right company to work on this.

"I believe that if America does not lead innovation in the digital currency and payments area, others will," he plans to say. "If we fail to act, we could soon see a digital currency controlled by others whose values are dramatically different. I believe that Libra can drive positive change for the many people who would benefit from it."

Watch this: Would you use Facebook's new Libra cryptocurrency? (The 3:59, Ep. 573)

Correction, July 16: Corrects time of hearing.