Facebook’s announcement of their new digital currency system, named Libra, has created all sorts of reactions, with government figures questioning it and Bitcoin enthusiasts celebrating it. Often overlooked and ridiculed, about the last group you’d expect to have an opinion on a new digital currency would be astrologists.
But with a name like Libra, you have to expect that they would react to it, and they have. Business Insider interviewed Mackenzie Greer, an astrologist, she’s doubtful the social media giant will make Libras (the people, not the digital currency) proud:
“Libras have a right to be peeved! Facebook is attempting to represent themselves as fair and just, akin to Libra’s most positive qualities. Given their track record, I’m not so sure they’ll be able to live up to the Libra name!”
It would seem preposterous that Facebook chose the Libra name due to its astrological connotations. Libra sounds a lot like a Latin sounding word for Freedom, and they have made it clear that they want to help the 1.7 billion unbanked people in the world with the new payment system. The actual Latin word “Libra,” in ancient Roman times, was a unit of measurement, which makes a lot of sense for a new currency. Regardless, if you name your currency Libra, Libras are going to have opinions about it.
“[Facebook] is attempting to ride on the back of the positive qualities that Libra as a sign naturally possesses,” Greer speculated. “Perhaps Facebook is trying to claim this new cryptocurrency will be one that attempts to replicate these Libran standards of morality, fairness, and balance in its use of monetary exchange? Seems like a nice picture to paint of itself.”
While Greer did comment on how Libras are right to be upset about the choice, she didn’t comment on how Virgos, Leos or Scorpios should feel about the project, if another company should make cryptos under their name, or if they would have a tough day in the office today, which would have been just about as helpful.
There’s still months before we’ll know if Libras (the digital currency, not the people) will be widely accepted in the world. With companies like Uber, Visa and eBay already signed up, it’s bound to be useful, but with the U.S. Congress demanding to have hearings before the currency rolls out, it’s bound to face plenty of roadblocks before it’s launch day.
There’s no word yet from the Winklevoss twins, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s old rivals and founder of crypto exchange Gemini, if they feel Zuckerberg has potentially once again stolen their idea by choosing an astrological name for his new cryptocurrency product. They did celebrate Libra hitting the scene though, with Cameron telling CBS “There’s so much pie to grow, I mean, at this point, we need to be frenemies.”
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