Table of Contents
Kamala Harris was named the Democrats' 2024 presidential candidate more than two months ago but has refrained from discussing her stance on digital assets, leaving the industry to speculate about the future of the industry. Until now.
Breaking her silence on the topic in a pitch to donors in New York City on Sunday, Harris said, “We will partner together to invest in America’s competitiveness, to invest in America’s future. We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”
“We will create a safe business environment with consistent and transparent rules of the road. We will invest in semiconductors, clean energy, and other industries of the future, and we will cut needless bureaucracy,” she added.
Response from the crypto community has been mixed. Coinbase policy chief Faryar Shirzad said, “This is an important and constructive statement from Kamala Harris. It’s not nearly as forward-leaning as the concrete and visionary positions taken by Donald Trump, but it’s still notable because she recognizes digital asset innovation as being important and on par with AI."
This is an important and constructive statement from @KamalaHarris.
— Faryar Shirzad 🛡️ (@faryarshirzad) September 22, 2024
It’s not nearly as forward leaning as the concrete and visionary positions taken by @realDonaldTrump, but it’s still notable because:
- she recognizes digital asset innovation as being important and on par… https://t.co/sIzq06a4lU
However, responses to his comments were far more critical. "Too little too late, she is the current administration and had plenty of time to initiate something more concrete as someone part of the current administration," said one commenter.
"If you believe anything she is saying right now, you’re off your knockers. A statement like this FROM SOMEONE IN OFFICE RIGHT NOW means absolutely nothing. She could have done this when the industry was screaming at the top of its lungs while she’s been vice president. She did not. The level of intellectual dishonesty not to understand that shows how jaded Americans can be," another disgruntled X user replied.
One person even critiqued Shirzad directly, stating, "Ummm... a vague mention of digital assets in a fundraiser gives you comfort? You're hearing what you want to hear and nothing more. If she wanted to actually send a message she could have easily done that for months and could still do it. But she hasn't. Why not?"
too little too late, she is the current administration and had plenty of time to initiate something more concrete as someone part of the current administration
— Himura | Bitflow 🌊🏄♂️ | Scallop (@aceddeca1) September 22, 2024
If you believe anything she is saying right now, you’re off your knockers.
— AllGreenCandles (@AllGreenCandles) September 22, 2024
A statement like this FROM SOMEONE IN OFFICE RIGHT NOW means absolutely nothing.
She could have done this when the industry was screaming at the top of its lungs while she’s been vice president.
She…
Ummm... a vague mention of digital assets in a fundraiser gives you comfort?
— Spiffy 🍴🌱 (@spiffyman) September 23, 2024
You're hearing what you want to hear and nothing more.
If she wanted to actually send a message she could have easily done that for months and could still do it.
But she hasn't. Why not?
Harris's refrain from talking about crypto left acres of space for Donald Trump to parade himself as the "Crypto President" - a term he coined himself, for himself.
Among his many pro-crypto pledges, Trump has vowed to axe crypto nemesis Gary Gensler from the SEC and that he will "keep every Bitcoin job in the United States of America."
Blockhead
"On day one I will fire Gary Gensler and appoint a new SEC chairman. As President, I will immediately shut down Operation Choke Point 2.0. … They want to choke you. They want to choke you. Out of business? We're not going to let that happen," Trump said at Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville.
"If crypto is going to define the future, I want it mined, minted, and made in the USA. Ultimately, my promise to each and every one of you is this, I will be the pro-innovation and pro-Bitcoin president that America needs and our citizens deserve."
Blockhead
However, Trump's recent weak performance in the first live Presidential debate of 2024 saw his lead slip away in the polls.
Blockhead
Harris now has 52% odds of winning according on Polymarket while Trump sits at 47%, and she leads in four of the six swing states on the prediction market.
Recently,Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen has formally backed Harris in the 2024 US presidential race.
Larsen joined 88 other executives including 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch and Snap chairman Michael Lynton in a joint letter, which said, “The best way to support the continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy” is by electing Harris as president.
Blockhead
