A group of leading crypto executives participated in a conference call with White House officials and an advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, sharing their concerns about current and future crypto regulations. However, White House representatives and Harris’ advisor did not make any commitments, per media reports.
The meeting is considered a strategic effort to shape Harris’ policy on crypto-related issues, as she has not made her stance clear on crypto regulation. According to media reports, crypto executives told the Biden administration to provide regulatory clarity in the digital asset space, subtly suggesting the removal of SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
Who attended the meeting?
Participants in the call included top executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, and Circle, along with venture capitalists Mark Cuban, Chris Dixon, and Ron Conway. On the government side, the call featured White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, National Economic Adviser Lael Brainard, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, and Kristine Lucius, a senior advisor and director of legislative affairs for the vice president.
The meeting on Thursday was organized by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California, who is known as a crypto-friendly leader and was one of the speakers at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in July.
Harris is trying to compete with Trump
The Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has gone above and beyond in support of cryptocurrency during this election year. He attended the Bitcoin conference and promised to make a Bitcoin reserve if he gets elected. In May, he declared himself a “crypto candidate” at a Mar-a-Lago gala. Later, he announced he would accept donations in Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin, Solana, and other cryptocurrencies.
The crypto community wants to hear from Harris
Harris’s experience with the tech industry puts her in a good position to talk about crypto. Harris has rarely discussed crypto openly, but now she has a chance to make her views on crypto regulations and policies known. The Digital Chamber, a prominent digital asset trade association, has urged Kamala Harris to support the U.S. cryptocurrency industry if she becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.
Meanwhile, with less than 100 days left until the presidential election, the crypto-based betting platform Polymarket has predicted an equal likelihood of Harris and Trump winning, each with a 49% chance. The two candidates are scheduled to participate in a presidential debate on September 10.