Kamala Harris to Back Crypto Reg Framework in Speech Today, Campaign Says
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will announce support for a "regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets" during a campaign speech in Erie, Pa. her campaign announced Monday morning.
The remarks will be part of a broader speech detailing an "Opportunity Agenda" aimed at bolstering support for Harris among Black men, the campaign said, without going into detail on what Harris may specifically say about the digital asset industry.
"Vice President Harris knows that more than 20% of Black Americans own or have owned cryptocurrency assets, which is why her plans will make sure owners of and investors in digital assets benefit from a regulatory framework so that Black men and others who participate in this market are protected," a press release said.
An attached document echoed a similar sentiment, saying her agenda would draw "on insights from her experience throughout her career."
"Vice President Harris appreciates the ways in which new technologies can broaden access to banking and financial services," the document said, before repeating the press release's statement about the framework.
Harris has not mentioned crypto much on the campaign trail, beyond a few literal mentions of the phrases "digital assets" and "blockchain" at a fundraiser and in a policy document. In contrast, former President Donald Trump has made a number of overtures to the crypto industry, promising friendly regulators and saying he would appoint a "bitcoin and crypto advisory council" at Bitcoin Nashville, an industry conference.
Last month, Trump visited PubKey, a Bitcoin bar in New York City, and bought burgers using bitcoin with assistance from the bar's staff.
Crypto industry participants have commissioned a number of polls gauging voters' interest in the sector. A Harris Poll (no relation to the Vice President) funded by Grayscale suggests 77% of likely voters want candidates to be informed about crypto, with 21% of the respondents holding at least some crypto.
Read more: Candidate Harris Unlikely to Make Full-Throated Crypto Policy Before Election: Source