MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — A panel was held on WVU's campus Monday to discuss cryptocurrency, also known as “crypto,” and educate attendees on the topic.
The panel was hosted by the John Chambers College of Business and Economics with the theme “Crypto Stars Rise.” Charlie Kaiser, founder of Matewan Digital Holdings, was one of the panelists and said the panel was aimed at educating and getting a sense of how people feel about cryptocurrencies.
“So what we're going to do today is find out what opinions people have about cryptocurrencies,” Kaiser said. “Are they supportive of it? Do they understand it? Is it something they're interested in?
Kaiser said one of the big topics that came up during the panel discussion was the apparent significant activity of the federal government surrounding cryptocurrencies and the topic being brought up in Congresses across the country. He said states like West Virginia have an opportunity to move things in a positive direction for the industry.
“West Virginia is in a situation where we don't have a lot of laws in place,” Kaiser said. “But there are also people who are interested. Whether it's about energy or whether it's about monetary policy.”
Kaiser said the topic of cryptocurrencies is especially important to him given his West Virginia heritage and the fact that his grandfather, a coal miner, was paid in corporate bonds rather than regular U.S. dollars. .
“If you know anything about scrip, it's a type of controlled currency issued by coal companies,” Kaiser said. “So there are some similarities with different types of currencies that could be substitutes, such as the dollar.”
Kaiser said this debate is the first in a series of debates he plans to hold across the state in the fall. During the series, he will engage with a variety of businesses, faculty, students, and other schools and community members, including College of Charleston and Marshall University.