Ohio Congressman Suggests “WallCoin” for Donald Trump’s U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
A Republican representative from the 8th District of Ohio has suggested that blockchain technology could be the answer to Donald Trump’s long-standing desire to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In an interview with NPR on December 12, 2018, the Congressman in question, Warren Davidson, said that distributed ledger technology could allow private individuals and entities to crowdfund the development of the border wall.
Crowdfunding with “Wall Coins”
According to the Congressman, the crowdfunding process could be facilitated with the help of a website similar to Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
Alternatively, the Treasury could explore the use of blockchain technology and a new cryptocurrency dubbed “Wall Coins” to seek public investment. Such a system could expect Mexican Pesos if required as well. While Davidson’s statement can only be construed as conjecture at this point, it could signal a shift in the understanding and acceptance of the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries.
Even if the government were to secure as much funding as it needs, however, Davidson said that most of the border would only be fortified with secure fences. He explained:
“Not all of that [funding] is for the wall. But there are areas that you would want to secure with a wall. And if you look at the areas where you have secured them with walls, $5 billion isn’t going to build a wall like the Great Wall of China. I mean, this is going to build secure fences.”
Imminent Government Shutdown
The NPR interview comes hot on the heels of American President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down the government over the controversial border wall. In a meeting with members of the Democratic party on December 11, 2018, he proclaimed:
“If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other through you or the military or anybody else, yes I will shut down the government.”
Warren Davidson believes that the best way to secure funding is to approach the world at large, including Mexicans and other non-Americans willing to contribute to the cause. He continued, “I’ve offered a modest compromise called Buy a Brick, Build a Wall that we introduced, which lets the American people, or whomever should choose to donate – Mexicans or otherwise – to donate to the program.”
The U.S.-Mexico border wall has been a subject of mass contention since the U.S. Presidential Race in 2015. At the time, Trump claimed that he would force Mexico to pay for the border wall if he won the election. A year after being elected, however, Trump has no choice but to approach Democratic party for additional support. According to a report by The Washington Post, the opposing party is only willing to pledge $1.3 billion, while Trump is demanding approximately $5 billion.
