Kamala Harris Promises to Encourage Crypto in Surprising Campaign Shift 

The presidential candidate pitched her economic agenda to donors in New York City on Sept 22, stating that she wants to support innovation in artificial intelligence and crypto and focus regulations on protecting consumers and investors.

The Democrat stated that she would bring together small business founders, innovators, and major companies to “invest in America’s competitiveness, to invest in America’s future.”

She then mentioned crypto assets for the first time in public, according to Bloomberg:

“We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”

According to Reuters, Harris plans to roll out a new set of economic policies this week.

Democrats Good For Crypto?

The move marks a departure from President Biden’s approach, which has actively targeted the crypto industry with rafts of lawsuits and a quagmire of murky regulations. One of Harris’s campaign policy advisers told Bloomberg that she wants to help grow digital assets but is interested in more regulations and safeguards for the industry.

However, researchers have suggested that the crypto crackdown and hostility towards the industry would continue if the Democrats were elected. Uniswap founder Hayden Adams said that “[Joe] Biden has been bad for crypto and actions will speak louder than words,” before adding:

“But progress is progress, it needs to start somewhere, and should be encouraged. A positive statement on the tech is more than we got under Biden and Trump’s presidency.”

Not all were convinced that the Democrats would be good for crypto, however.

Retardio.

Uniswap should not be trusted.

The only major crypto company actively simping for Democrats and Kamala Harris in particular. It’s like they want us to lose. https://t.co/huw76HRyQq

— Ryan Selkis (d/acc) (@twobitidiot) September 22, 2024

In April, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an intent to take legal action, or Wells notice, against Uniswap.

ETF Store President Nate Geraci also saw the irony in a crypto founder supporting the Democrats.

Current state of crypto regulation in two tweets… pic.twitter.com/s4Owie9nzo

— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) September 23, 2024

Last week, CryptoPotato reported that founder of the investment firm SkyBridge Capital, Anthony Scaramucci, revealed that he is working with Kamala Harris to draft crypto policies for her campaign.

Trump All-In on Crypto

Her Republican rival, Donald Trump, has openly courted the crypto industry, promising to fire SEC Chair Gary Gensler and appoint industry-friendly regulators.

Last week, he became the first former president to use Bitcoin as a payment method when he bought burgers for supporters at a New York bar.

According to Polymarket’s election prediction forecast, Harris has a 52% lead, while Trump trails at 47%. According to the latest CBS News polling, the vice president has now “moved to the slightest of edges across the battleground states,” with 4 points nationally over Donald Trump.