Table of Contents
Over the weekend, Kamala Harris gave her first media interview since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. As a result, her popularity in the polls seems to have taken a toll, at least on Polymarket.
Harris overtook Donald Trump for the first time in the polls slightly over one month ago but now the sentiment has reversed.
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Former President Trump now has a 52% chance of securing the win in November while Harris's odds have slipped to 47%.
Hoped to be a fresh face for the Democratic Party, Harris disappointed the audience by staunchly repeating "my values have not changed" during the interview.
“My values have not changed.” -Kamala Harrispic.twitter.com/EW0Kc4c6hc
— GOP (@GOP) August 31, 2024
Trump's Crypto Ambitions
There has been a lot of interest in the expanding digital-asset endeavours of the former president's family and allies because Trump has pledged to make America the "crypto capital" of the world and championed a decentralised banking platform.
The Republican presidential candidate and his two sons have been campaigning for World Liberty Financial, a decentralised finance initiative, over the past several weeks.
This project seeks to eliminate intermediaries like banks by utilising software-driven solutions.
An emerging subset of the cryptocurrency industry, decentralised finance (DeFi) uses decentralised software applications to eliminate traditional middlemen like banks and brokers.
Its advocates argue that DeFi initiatives will make banking more accessible to everybody.
Trump has also released his fourth batch of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which stand for exclusive ownership of goods like pictures of him boxing or riding a motorbike.
Melania Trump's forthcoming memoir and digital collection will be available for purchase on her website.
The former US president did not provide further details in a Thursday video statement on the X social media site. The article linked to the decentralised financial initiative that his sons have been advocating, World Liberty Financial.
The project's website information characterises it as a "cutting-edge" DeFi platform linking users to "decentralised finance's best tools for secure, high-yield crypto investments."
Other than that, not much is known about the project yet.
.@worldlibertyfi pic.twitter.com/mwhVIzPJyq
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2024
Despite Trump's earlier declaration—nearly five years ago—that he was "not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies," his allies and family have obviously embraced crypto since then and have amassed millions from it.
Follow the Money / Crypto
The former president's CIC Digital LLC held crypto wallets worth at least $1 million in Ethereum, which generated $7.2 million by licensing his picture on NFTs.
Some crypto industry heavyweights, such as VCs Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, have backed Trump because of his stance on the cryptocurrency market.
Trump has made a fortune lending his brand or face to crypto-related things for a number of years now, continuing a long tradition that began with real estate and has extended to tailoring, steaks, and even cryptocurrency.
Trump has completely reversed his stance on the asset class, which he saw as a fraud while in office.
Donors were invited to spend $844,600 to get a place at a round table with Trump last month at a Bitcoin conference, where he was the headline speaker.
However, Kamala Harris has yet to make her policy on digital assets clear.
As the presidential race heats up, volatility in cryptos is expected to rise.
The crypto sector has spent $119 million this year to influence US elections and promote crypto-friendly policies. According to public citizen research, major businesses like Ripple and Coinbase have led this investment frenzy.
Coinbase and Ripple alone have made contributions totalling more than $50 million to sway important elections and bolster pro-crypto political action organisations.
This outlay of funds is in continuation of the independent political expenditure boom that began with the Citizens United decision in 2010. Crypto-focused super PACs have raised more than $102 million throughout this election season. This financial drive targets candidates and policies that benefit the digital asset sector.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple president Monica Long find current US laws frustrating, so they are asking for simpler standards.
The forthcoming September 13 event for Democratic contender Harris is another example of the crypto industry's smart financing.
Harris's campaign at this event will raise $100 million in cryptocurrency. According to recent polls, a sizable portion of the electorate is comprised of crypto investors.
A surprising number of US voters have put money into cryptocurrency, with a clear lean towards Republican Donald Trump rather than Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, according to a survey.
Crypto owners are 50% more likely to back Trump, even though Harris's list of crypto backers is growing longer.
Elsewhere
Perion Lim
Blockhead
Blockhead
Events
All Day Crypto Bash (Singapore, 17 September 2024)
Blockhead is partnering with Draper Startup House to bring you an exclusive, action-packed day at on 17 September, during Token 2049 week in Singapore.
This event, co-organized alongside Draper Nation, Hyperglade, SUN ZU Lab, Metacamp and Clubout, is an opportunity to connect, learn, and chill with the best in the blockchain, crypto, and web3 community!
Apart from panel discussions, fireside chats and workshops, there'll be food, drinks, and lots of time for networking. Bring a change of clothes if you're keen on participating in the ice baths and other wellness activities!
The event will run from 9 am to 8 pm on Tuesday, 17 September. Find a rundown of activities and registration details here.
Daemon Day (Singapore, 17 September 2024)
Join Blockdaemon on 17th September 2024 at Pan Pacific, Singapore for a day of groundbreaking discussions and networking opportunities with key players in the space. Event partners include AWS and Zodia Custody, while the event supporters include Liquid Collective, M2, MU Digital, Titanium Ventures, and Xangle.
For more info, click here.
Token2049 (Singapore, 18-19 September 2024)
Don't miss out on early bird ticket prices, until July 31! Use Blockhead's exclusive discount code BLOCKHEAD10 for a further 10% off.
All That Matters (Singapore, 16-18 September 2024)
The 19th All That Matters is the gateway to the APAC Music, Sports, Gaming, Marketing, Web3, Arts and Entertainment industries.
Conference by day and live music festival by night, ATM is Asia’s premiere ‘Business 2 Business 2 Fan’ event experience bringing together world class speakers with more than 2,000 senior executives.
Get your tickets now with Blockhead's 15% off code: ATM24BLOCKHEAD15
GeckoCon (Bangkok, 11 November 2024)
GeckoCon returns, and this year we're diving into the revolutionary world of Web3 Gaming! Discover how the fusion of blockchain and traditional gaming is creating a whole new entertainment layer.Don't miss out—visit CoinGecko now to secure your spot in our first ever Hybrid Conference set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand. Or from the comforts of your home!
Get your tickets now with Blockhead's 40% code: BHGC24
[Limited to 30 redemptions, expires 12 September 2024]
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