British Throne Heir Prince Charles Calls Bitcoin a ‘Very Interesting Development’
Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, was asked to offer his opinion on bitcoin and blockchain technology. | Source: Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP
By CCN.com: Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, is a budding fan of bitcoin and blockchain.
During a May 8 visit to Berlin, Germany, a crypto fan asked the Prince of Wales the following question: “Prince Charles, what do you think of bitcoin?”
Prince Charles is in Germany this week on a four-day royal visit to honor the Royal Family’s German heritage.
Prince Charles: ‘It’s a very interesting development’
The Prince initially sounded confused and replied, “Ehhh??”
But when prompted by the questioner with the keywords “bitcoin, blockchain, cryptocurrency,” Prince Charles replied, “Yes, yes! It’s a very interesting development.”
The bitcoin enthusiast who asked the question then posted his video on Twitter, where it immediately went viral.
The amusing video has scored more than 86,000 views so far. And the Twitter user, CoinDorado, was barraged with congratulations and encouraging comments.
https://twitter.com/coindorado/status/1125776363644968962
Prince Charles video embedded on blockchain
One Twitter user even uploaded the tweet to the blockchain.
Here are some other hilarious responses to the royal video.
https://twitter.com/coindorado/status/1125797876704186369
Another person joked: “If you slow down the speed in the 0:22, he clearly says “all in Tron, dude. Make no mistake.”
https://twitter.com/coindorado/status/1125857581816320000
British lawmaker pushes for bitcoin tax payments
All jokes aside, Great Britain has been making strides to become more pro-bitcoin as Europe, the United States, and Asia race to become the leader in the nascent industry.
As CCN.com reported in December 2018, a member of the British Parliament wants UK residents to be able to pay their local taxes and utility bills using bitcoin.
Eddie Hughes, a conservative MP (member of Parliament) said this would be a great first step toward mass adoption of crypto.
Hughes said it’s time for other British lawmakers to familiarize themselves with cryptocurrencies and blockchain because the technologies aren’t going away anytime.
“It gets talked about a lot wherever you go in the UK, and as MPs we have a duty to understand it.”
‘You’re either ahead of the curve or behind it’
Eddie Hughes urged the U.K. to “plant a flag” and become a world leader in the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry.
“You’re either ahead of the curve or you’re behind the curve. Our country is in an interesting position right now. We are at a crossroads and we’re about to determine our future – one in which taking the lead in this field could prove very beneficial.”
Hughes said part of the reason why cryptocurrencies are not more widely adopted is because many people are unfamiliar with them.
“People not understanding how the transaction works is holding us back in terms of mass adoption,” he said. Hughes claims that once people understand how blockchain and crypto work, they will embrace it.
US lawmakers also make pro-crypto push
Across the pond, some U.S. lawmakers have been pushing to position the United States as a leader in the crypto industry.
In December 2018, Congressmen Darren Soto and Ted Budd introduced two bills to prevent cryptocurrency price manipulation and enhance the US’ position as a market leader.
In a joint statement, Soto and Budd said cryptocurrencies and blockchain have “profound potential” to bolster the economy.
“Virtual currencies and the underlying blockchain technology have a profound potential to be a driver of economic growth. That’s why we must ensure that the United States is at the forefront.”
