The blockchain/crypto week in quotes

“You (Mark Zuckerberg) might consider changing the Libra’s name. The “Libra” was a measure of weight from the Roman Empire, and we know where that ended up. Don’t be bashful; call it the “Mark.” Germany ditched its mark, which it had been using since it created it after WWII, for the euro 20 years ago, so the name is up for grabs.

A gold-backed Mark would be a transformative move in the history of money. It would blow Bitcoin out of the water and would generate an enthusiastic “Like” from billions of businesses and people, now and forever.” Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media

“Emerging markets are where cryptocurrencies matter. When I look at the developed world, I don’t care. It’s highly regulated and, in many cases, a rigged system. If I decide to compete with a tech company they can just push me out via regulation.

Then I sit down with the prime minister of Georgia and he says, ‘we’re open for business.’ We can rebuild parts of their education infrastructure, create a new payments system or do a medical records system. The keys to the kingdom are right there. That’s four million people who in 10 or 20 years will be very high-value users.” Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson

“Facebook was a catalyst for Bitcoin breaking above $10,000. One of the largest companies in the world said we believe in cryptocurrencies. If you’re an institutional investor who’s getting close and still worried about investing, it makes you that much more confident…A huge amount of the volumes of what’s going on in Bitcoin and other currencies is coming out of Asia.” Michael Novogratz, CEO, Galaxy Digital Holdings

“Due to the astonishing and quickening pace of the digitalisation of the global economy – and the far-reaching impact of this – political leaders, finance ministers, central bank representatives and others at this year’s G20 summit must ensure decisive steps towards a multilateral cryptocurrency regulatory framework are taken. A failure to do so would be, in my opinion, irresponsible and negligent.” Nigel Green, Chief Executive and Founder, deVere Group

“Bitcoin will hit somewhere between $60,000 and  $100,000 during its next bull run.” ThinkMarkets Chief Market Analyst Naeem Aslam 

“Libra is like a centralised wolf in a decentralised sheep’s clothing.” Joseph Lubin, Founder of ConsenSys and Co-founder of Ethereum

“I think cryptocurrency doubters are finding it hard to continue their cause.” Antoni Trenchev, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Nexo

“The entry of large technology firms into financial services holds the promise of efficiency gains and can enhance financial inclusion. But regulators need to ensure a level playing field between big techs and banks, taking into account big techs’ wide customer base, access to information and broad-ranging business models. Their entry presents new and complex trade-offs between financial stability, competition and data protection.” The Bank of International Settlements (BIS)

“For those involved in the crypto industry, the Bitcoin price rise should come as no surprise. We’ve recently seen perfect market conditions for a rally, and it shows no sign of stopping. The recent Facebook Libra announcement, as well as the heightened demand for CME crypto futures, show that large institutions are realising the opportunity cost of not being involved in crypto, and dragging the market up with them.

Conditions are also perfect for any nervous retail investors considering dipping their toes back into crypto investing. Firstly, the Bitcoin hash rate is at an all time high, making the digital currency more more secure than ever. Furthermore, passing the 10k mark will also trigger FOMO, meaning we could see a large scale re-entry to the market. If this trajectory continues, then 2019 could be a record-breaking year for Bitcoin.” Herbert Sim, Head of Business Development, Broctagon 

“I’m really excited about doing this. I hope it makes me rich.” Former Donald Trump advisor Stephen Moore on joining Decentral