Kamala Harris paid tribute to Joe Biden in a surprise appearance at the opening of the Democratic National Convention, saying she was 'forever grateful' to him
A top advisor for the Harris campaign has, for the first time, spoken about Harris' supposed thoughts on crypto, and while it's positive, some crypto users are still in doubt. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • Rep. Nickel said he was 'thrilled' about what he called an 'important policy statement'
  • Some users questioned why Harris used 'back channels' to supposedly express her crypto views
  • Others believe Nelson's statement is 'big,' considering it's the first of such from the Harris campaign

Vice President Kamala Harris will definitely support policies seeking to expand growth in the cryptocurrency industry, one of his senior campaign aides said. However, many crypto users have expressed doubt about whether she actually wants to see the industry grow due to her silence about the matter.

A friendlier stance?

Brian Nelson, a senior policy advisor for the Harris campaign, said during a Bloomberg roundtable at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday that Harris will "support policies that ensure that emerging technologies and that sort of industry (crypto) can continue to grow."

He acknowledged that the crypto community has "expressed that one of the things that they need are stable rules, rules of the road."

Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C., saw the news as a positive development. "I've been working hard to push for a reset on crypto, and am thrilled about this important policy statement," he wrote about the report. "We have an important opportunity to build on our coalition of Democrats working to protect consumers and keep digital innovation in the United States," he added.

Sheila Warren, the CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, shared the Bloomberg report. Warren has been pushing for crypto to become a bipartisan topic.

Coinbase's chief policy officer Faryar Shirzad also took to X to express his appreciation for the Harris team's "constructive approach and their focus on advancing innovation, jobs and consumer protection in the U.S." He noted that dialogue with the team was an "important first step" in gaining the community's trust, and Nelson's statement "is an encouraging second step in the right direction."

Others are just unhappy about the 'indirect' statements

Many crypto users have been urging Harris to come out herself and declare her thoughts about cryptocurrencies directly. Nelson's statement has only fueled their demands, igniting what could be a fire the Harris campaign didn't see coming.

"Why is it always back channels?" one user asked, adding that Harris herself has not done an interview or presser to actually talk about her "supposed positions" on the industry.

Republican David Giglio joined the calls to get Harris to talk about crypto. "Why can't she do this herself?" he said, noting that this time, it was "a random aide" telling the American public what the vice president supposedly thinks.

"Lies. If not why wouldn't she come out and actually say it," one user said, while NFT artist @RisBrian released art to ask the crypto community about whether they believe Nelson's statement signals real change or it was just a "clown act to carry votes."

Closer to balance?

Other crypto users see Nelson's revelation as an "interesting development." One user said he hopes it could lead to a "balanced approach" that focuses on both growth and proper regulation.

For prominent crypto analyst Adam Cochran, Nelson shouldn't be called a "random aide" and his statement about crypto policy is "big." He went on to note that "this is the first official statement from the Harris campaign about crypto in *any* capacity and it *is* a positive one. Let's acknowledge that's a huge step from where we've been in the past and keep pushing."

November elections swaying crypto unity

The crypto community is often united in regulations and statements that target the industry, but the upcoming elections seem to be dividing the stalwart community, as was displayed when Harris led Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump earlier this month on decentralized crypto prediction platform Polymarket.

At center of the division is the group that started Crypto4Harris, which describes itself as "a grassroots network of crypto advocates organizing, fundraising, and developing a nuanced crypto-policy approach for the Harris for President campaign."

Still, support for Trump among crypto voters has been strong since he started including crypto in discussions earlier this year. An increasing number of Republicans have also flipped and are now vocally supportive of the sector.

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