Coinbase CEO and French Central Banker Clash on Money Sovereignty
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A key Davos moment saw Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong debate monetary sovereignty with Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau. Armstrong praised Bitcoin as a modern gold standard and a check on deficit spending, while Villeroy de Galhau stressed that money is inseparable from state sovereignty and warned against interest-bearing stablecoins.
Despite their differences, both acknowledged tokenization as a financial innovation. Armstrong described the tension as “healthy competition,” while European regulators continue to promote central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as a safer alternative to private money.