Libra’s co-creator had geopolitical motivations to build the digital currency

“What got me out of bed every morning was China”

Morgan Beller, the co-creator of Meta’s now-defunct Libra digital currency project, revealed on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 that “what got [her] out of bed every morning [at the time] was China.”

In case that wasn’t explicit enough, Beller directly referred to the Belt and Road Initiative, which is considered a centerpiece of China’s foreign policy. Spicy, isn’t it? Let’s unpack this.

First, a caveat: Beller prefaced her comments with a disclaimer that she wasn’t talking on behalf of Meta; she is now a general partner at venture firm NFX.

Still, it adds new context to Libra — and Meta — to know that its co-creator was motivated by geopolitical concerns about the Chinese Communist Party.