Joe Biden and Kamala Harris - Press HeraldUS Vice President and potential Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris will not speak at the Bitcoin Conference 2024. David Bailey, CEO of Bitcoin Magazine, confirmed this, noting that it is not surprising given how the Biden administration has been treating the industry.
Also Read: Mark Cuban says Kamala Harris will be ‘more open’ to AI and Bitcoin
Bailey had earlier teased the likelihood of the potential Democrat presidential nominee speaking at the event like her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump. At the time, he described this as a chance for the party to reset its position on crypto.
Politics divide crypto as stakeholders call for bipartisan support
Meanwhile, Bailey did not elaborate on why Harris would not attend the event, but many have taken this as a sign of her strong anti-crypto stance. Even Bailey seems to agree with this point of view and reiterates his support for Donald Trump.
“No surprise. What can she say to us when she’s actively imprisoning developers, forcing our industry overseas, attacking PoW… it would have been a disaster for her; all eyes on Trump now.” he posted.
However, not everyone agrees with this view. Cinneamhain Ventures partner Adam Cochran criticized the crypto community for increasingly attacking the Democrats even though it appears they are now trying to work with crypto.
Also Read: What will a Kamala Harris win mean for America’s economy?
According to him, this is the industry’s best chance to become bipartisan. Therefore, the industry must take this opportunity to work with anyone who offers constructive crypto policy regardless of which side of the aisle they belong.
Still, many believe it is too early to say that the Democratic Party has made any tangible move to court crypto voters, especially after years of frosty relationships. Several recommendations have been made on what the party should do first, ranging from commuting Ross Ulbricht’s sentence to sacking Gary Gensler or withdrawing all the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement actions against the industry players.
Will Kamala Harris embrace crypto?
Recent media reports suggest that Harris might be considering changing the Democratic Party’s approach to crypto if nominated as the presidential candidate. According to the reports, her advisors have contacted stakeholders, including Mark Cuban, about the crypto policy.
This aligns with earlier predictions that Biden’s withdrawal from the race could offer the Democratic candidate an opportunity to regain the trust of the crypto industry. Although Harris is also part of the current administration, many believe she would be more open to supporting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and crypto.
However, many stakeholders, including Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss, are skeptical about whether Harris would support the industry. Her confirmed absence from the Bitcoin Conference could increase these doubts, even though it might not be the reason for her absence. Media reports confirm that she will speak on Wednesday at a convention of a Black sorority in Indianapolis, the same day that Trump will speak at the Bitcoin conference.
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