Crypto industry leaders and senior White House officials met for the second time in about a month to discuss future cryptocurrency policy.
They gathered virtually just before noon Eastern time on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter told The Block. Attendees included administration officials such as Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, and Vice President Kamala Harris’s legislative affairs director, Christine Lucius. The event was organized by Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, the source said.
According to sources, attendees from the crypto industry included Ripple executives Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen, Uniswap CEO Hayden Adams, Stellar Development Foundation’s Denelle Dixon, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire, billionaire Mark Cuban, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
There was some “voice-calling,” according to the source, but there was also talk of use cases and policy outcomes, including what regulators should look for and a focus on jobs and economic impact.
Anita Dunn, Senior Advisor to President Biden, Meets with Lawmakers and Crypto Leaders last month The meeting, hosted by Rep. Khanna at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., discussed a range of topics, including the SEC’s actions on the agency’s employee accounting board and the Biden administration’s need to engage with the cryptocurrency industry. Thursday’s meeting was much smaller, according to sources.
‘The biggest difference is who attended’
Thursday’s meeting was different from last month’s because Brainerd and Adeyemo were present, sources said.
“The biggest difference was who was there. Wally and Lael were there, who are the most senior people in the Biden administration who are overseeing cryptocurrency policy on the non-regulatory side,” the source said. “So having Lael and Wally there really changed the conversation to who is actually responsible for setting policy.”
“It’s very much considered moving the ball forward,” the source said. Both Brainard and Adeyemo were “very curious,” they added.
Cryptocurrencies are set to play a major role in the upcoming election, with millions of dollars pouring into mega political action committees and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump showing interest in the industry.
The Republican Party has expressed support for cryptocurrency companies and investors. platform Including vowing to end the “illegal and un-American crackdown” on the U.S. cryptocurrency industry for the 2024 election. Trump has also been openly friendly to the industry.
Harris’ team started in the meantime. Reach Harris jumped into the crypto space shortly after President Joe Biden announced he would not run for reelection and endorsed a replacement. Harris has yet to publicly state her stance on cryptocurrencies.
Next week, the grassroots organization Crypto4Harris will host a town hall featuring cryptocurrency industry leaders including Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, and billionaire Mark Cuban.
Crypto4Harris said, “Crypto is building a movement to support Kamala Harris.” post Earlier this week, we talked about X, a group of “industry leaders, policy experts, and everyday crypto enthusiasts who have organized to support Harris and advance a nuanced policy position that positions the U.S. as a leader in digital assets.”
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet providing news, research and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is the largest investor in The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the cryptocurrency space. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget is an anchor LP of Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to provide objective, impactful and timely information on the cryptocurrency industry. Current financial disclosures include:
© 2024 The Block. All rights reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not provided or intended to be legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.