The recent frenzy in the Bitcoin community has been the news that Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a prominent antagonist of cryptocurrency, raised a flag commemorating Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto in the U.S. Capitol Building. This seemed to indicate that she had switched sides and was now supporting Bitcoin. However, it turns out that this was just a stunt orchestrated by Bitcoin supporters.
Elizabeth Warren has been well-known for her strong opposition to cryptocurrencies, even going so far as to criticize cryptocurrency wallets as the perfect tool for criminals. She also led the charge in proposing bills such as the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act last year, which aimed to restrict financial institutions from using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for transactions.
However, this week the Bitcoin community went wild over a tweet from Bitcoin Magazine claiming that Elizabeth Warren had recently signed an official order to raise a flag in the U.S. Capitol Building to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Bitcoin’s creation by Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin enthusiasts celebrated Warren’s apparent change of heart and embrace of Bitcoin. But in reality, this was just a gimmick by Bitcoin supporters. Anyone can pay a fee and fill out a form on Elizabeth Warren’s official website to have a flag raised in the Capitol Building.
According to Decrypt’s report, U.S. senators and representatives offer paid services to have flags raised in the Capitol Building to celebrate special occasions such as anniversaries, graduations, and retirements. The lawmakers then sign certificates commemorating these special days and present them, along with an American flag, to their constituents as mementos. The Architect of the Capitol estimates that they receive up to 100,000 requests through the Capitol Flag Program each year.
It cannot be confirmed whether a flag was raised to commemorate Satoshi Nakamoto. Due to the large number of requests and ceremonies, the Architect of the Capitol does not keep detailed records of which lawmakers raised which flags on specific days. The office confirmed that they have no records to either confirm or deny whether Elizabeth Warren’s office submitted a request on behalf of constituents to raise a flag in commemoration of Satoshi Nakamoto, or if such a ceremony ever took place.
The certificate published by Bitcoin Magazine was initially issued by Thomas Pacchia, co-owner of the Manhattan Bitcoin-themed bar PubKey. Pacchia revealed that an anonymous individual recently walked into his bar and handed over a folded American flag and certificate, which were then entrusted to PubKey for safekeeping. The certificate bears the signatures of Elizabeth Warren and the Architect of the Capitol.
Thomas Pacchia admitted that he did not seek verification from any government agency to confirm the legitimacy of the certificate:
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