U.S. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., called today’s cryptocurrency market “the Wild Wild West” during a roundtable in Elizabeth City, where local leaders discussed what the digital currency could mean for small businesses in eastern North Carolina.
“[Cryptocurrency] is not about Democrat, Republican. This is about, how can we embrace prosperity?” Davis said during the Sept. 11 discussion. “D.C. has begun to move in the direction of the bipartisan way. And we’re sitting in eastern North Carolina having a roundtable discussion. We have every reason to be optimistic.”
The event, held at Seven Sounds Brewing Co., was hosted by the advocacy organization Stand With Crypto as part of its national tour.
Mason Lynaugh moderated the discussion. Panelists included Savannah Winslow, president of the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce; Darrion Webster, founder of local tech business Webties; Darius Walton, broker-in-charge at Southern Cities Realty; Shawn Walker Jr., an economics teacher at Washington County High School; and Isaiah McKenna, president of the Elizabeth City State University Blockchain Organization.
According to a press release sent before the event, Stand With Crypto is a nonprofit that advocates for clear, common-sense regulation of the crypto industry and aims to mobilize the 52 million Americans who have owned cryptocurrency.
Lynaugh posed a series of questions to the panelists to gather multiple perspectives on the future of crypto in northeastern North Carolina.
“I think here, with this being a smaller, different demographic, a lot of people don’t understand [cryptocurrency],” Webster said.
Much of the conversation focused on cryptocurrency’s potential role for downtown small businesses.
Lynaugh said one of the most interesting possibilities is what could happen if federal legislation passes that lets people get involved without worrying about a lack of regulatory clarity.
“A lot of small businesses, they may have a great community, but they aren’t able to necessarily get a loan the right way,” Lynaugh said. “So, I think, one of the really exciting things we can do is make sure that folks are empowered to grow on their own terms.”
Winslow agreed there could be room for cryptocurrency in the future of small businesses.
“Not only do we have small local businesses, homegrown here, but also franchises and things like that, both here to serve our community,” Winslow said. “I think there’s, like [Webster] said, some educational opportunities where we could learn and grow … and see what we’re going to miss out on if we don’t take the opportunities.”
While Davis is optimistic about the future, he also sees a need for regulation.
“When we look at what’s taking place right before us, it’s the Wild Wild West, and you can’t have a system that basically [has] no guardrails in place,” he said. “That’s why when we look at the work that’s been taking place in Washington, D.C., we’re trying to make this connection of why it’s so relevant, why it’s important.”
Davis briefly mentioned the CLARITY Act, which would establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets. The House passed the bill in July 2025, but on Sept. 15 it fell short in a 49-50 Senate procedural vote, well below the 60 votes needed to open debate.
Clips from the roundtable are expected to be posted on Stand With Crypto’s Instagram and TikTok pages at a later date.
