U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (빌 해거티) voiced opposition to adopting a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as he raised the need to expand a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve.

On Oct. 29, Bitcoin Magazine reported that Hagerty said some people in Congress present a CBDC as an alternative to the crypto industry, but it "absolutely does not align with freedom and civil liberties."

In the interview, Hagerty said uncertainty in U.S. crypto regulation has had a negative impact on the industry. He argued that unclear regulatory standards led to pressure on the industry by former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler (게리 겐슬러). He stressed that innovation can grow when the government does not intervene excessively in regulation and plays a minimal role.

The future handling of the crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act was also a key agenda item. Talks also covered negotiations with Democrats on ethics provisions, a dispute over stablecoin rewards, and how the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulate crypto in the absence of separate legislation from Congress. Hagerty pointed to tasks Congress can realistically address before the new session in January.

On stablecoins, changes to payment and settlement systems and the international status of the U.S. dollar were key topics. Hagerty focused on how the GENIUS Act, which sets out a regulatory framework for stablecoins, could affect payment and settlement methods. The interview also discussed that demand for stablecoins could support demand for U.S. Treasuries and help sustain dollar dominance.

Expanding a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve and the scale of holdings, about 200,000 bitcoin, were also key agenda items. Hagerty discussed the future direction of a bitcoin reserve, and the interview also covered whether the United States should treat bitcoin as a strategic asset.

The interview also mentioned Americans' sceptical views of crypto and the energy demand of the bitcoin mining industry. It also included discussions of the Tennessee Valley Authority's infrastructure expansion in Tennessee and Nashville's ecosystem of bitcoin-related companies.

In the interview, Hagerty described stablecoins as a way to strengthen the competitiveness of a dollar-centred financial system and viewed bitcoin as a strategic asset, while expressing concern that a CBDC could infringe on freedom and rights. How much agreement Congress can reach before the new session in January on crypto legislation including the CLARITY Act is cited as a key variable that will shape the policy direction.