Haun Ventures, a digital asset investment firm led by former U.S. federal prosecutor Katie Haun, is expanding its policy-focused advisory team to startups as its chief policy officer steps down. Block confirmed.
Tomicah Tillemann, who previously served as head of global policy at a16z, will leave her full-time job and join the nonprofit next year. According to his biography, Tillemann is best known for his work in Washington, both at the White House and throughout U.S. Senate and congressional campaigns. He joined the State Department in 2009 and served as a speechwriter for then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Despite these changes, he will maintain his relationship with Haun Ventures as an advisor and continue to work with the firm’s portfolio of companies through the Founder Advisory Network. For example, Tillemann plans to host a Founder’s Day in D.C. early next year.
The company revealed three new members of the network to its portfolio founders. Attorney Joe Yum, a former FBI special agent, has joined the advisory network based on his extensive experience leading investigations encompassing transnational organized crime, financial crime, and national security threats. Another former FBI special agent, Ken Bagchi, joined the group after a 20-year career.
James Burnham, who leveraged his experience overseeing nationally significant litigation for the government and recently supported Coinbase’s lawsuit against the SEC before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also joined the group.
A critical time for cryptocurrency policy
The inclusion of new policy-focused advisors in the venture firm’s network aligns with certain legislators targeting the cryptocurrency market due to their close connections to high-ranking figures in the national security space.
Earlier this week, Senator Elizabeth Warren sharpened her rhetoric against the cryptocurrency industry in a new letter to industry policy groups, accusing former Department of Defense and law enforcement officials of “wielding a not-so-secret weapon.”
“This revolving door of abuse is appalling and shows the cryptocurrency industry is spending millions of dollars to ensure its legitimacy while fighting stonewalled common-sense rules designed to limit the use of cryptocurrencies for terrorist financing,” Warren said on Coin Monday. “It will contribute to the interests of cryptocurrency companies,” he said in a letter to the center. Letters were also sent to the Blockchain Association and Coinbase. Politico.
Cryptocurrency companies have been pouring resources into strengthening their policy-focused teams and advocating for cryptocurrency positions in Congress. Perhaps most notably, Coinbase launched a “cryptocurrency” platform with members including former U.S. Senator Patrick Toomey, former Congressman Tim Ryan, and former Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney. A global advisory board would have been launched to “navigate the industry’s complex and evolving landscape.”
Nonetheless, Warren’s claim that cryptocurrencies are primarily used for illicit activities has been significantly challenged by industry players and data. According to Chainalysis, illicit cryptocurrency-related trading volume accounted for just 0.24% of all activity in 2022. Earlier this month, Warren announced she was expanding her coalition of senators around legislation that would require cryptocurrency companies to comply with more regulations in the cryptocurrency space. Anti-money laundering regulations.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet delivering news, research and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority 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 about the cryptocurrency industry. Below are our current financial disclosures.
© 2023 The Block. All rights reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not provided or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.