Kamala Harris Joins Binance Advisory Board as Crypto Questions Continue

After President Joe Biden decided not to run, Kamala Harris declared her candidacy for president, but her stance on cryptocurrencies remains unclear. However, recent appointments suggest a shift toward a more supportive approach may be in the offing.

Harris has appointed David Plouffe, a former Obama aide and former member of the Binance Global Advisory Board, as her chief strategy officer. Reuters It was reported on Friday.

Before joining Harris’ team last week, Plouffe served as a global strategic advisor at Alchemy Pay, contributing to the company’s strategy, compliance and government relations.

Harris also reportedly hired Brian Nelson, a former deputy assistant secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury. Axios last month.

Nelson was implicated in a Treasury Department action filed against Binance last November for money laundering and sanctions violations.

Despite this, Nelson is credited with maintaining an open-minded approach to the industry, focusing on regulating illicit activity without stifling innovation.

“Nelson has been working with (Harris) for years,” said Cody Carbone, chief policy officer for the blockchain trade association Digital Chamber. answer A tweet from Matt Hougan, Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer.

“He’s been pretty open-minded about cryptocurrencies, and his policy team has been very engaged with the industry,” Carbone said. “He’s deeply concerned about illicit money, but he hasn’t portrayed cryptocurrencies as toxic like some others have.”

Last month, Harris declined an invitation to speak at a Bitcoin conference, which some interpreted as a move to not consider or engage with cryptocurrencies as a policy issue ahead of the November election.

Nonetheless, the appointment shows Harris’ willingness to engage with cryptocurrency industry participants amid lingering questions about her stance on the asset class.

Meanwhile, Harris Team WorldsThe man who would become her future vice president and governor of Minnesota.

There have been no public statements from Walz on cryptocurrencies, but he signed a bill last week setting a maximum daily trading limit. $2,000 This is for new customers using cryptocurrency ATMs in the state.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair