Vice President Kamala Harris addressed cryptocurrency for the first time since becoming the 2024 Democratic nominee, giving a nod to the industry in a speech to Wall Street donors over the weekend.
At a New York City fundraiser on Sunday, Harris vowed that if she wins the presidential election, her administration “will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting consumers and investors,” adding, “We will create a safe business environment with consistent and transparent rules of the road,” according to Bloomberg.
Harris’ comment on crypto comes as she seeks to compete with former President Donald Trump for the crypto voting bloc in a tight race for the White House.
Trump, the Republican nominee, has embraced digital currencies in his current bid for the presidency. He spoke at the world’s largest bitcoin conference in Nashville over the summer, and last week, touted a new decentralized currency platform launched by his two oldest sons.
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The GOP nominee has been the crypto community’s preferred candidate in the race thus far, but Harris now appears to be courting those voters.
A recent poll from Farleigh Dickinson University shows Trump holds a 12-point lead over Harris among voters that own cryptocurrencies, following what some in the industry view as a regulatory assault by the Biden-Harris administration.
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But Harris has sought to distance herself from some of the administration’s economic policies, and is now signaling a friendlier approach to the crypto industry if she becomes the occupant of the Oval Office.
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As FOX Business reported last month, Harris has added two former crypto advisers to her campaign: David Plouffe, who served on the advisory board of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, and Gene Sperling, a former board member of blockchain payments company Ripple.
FOX Business’ Eleanor Terrett contributed to this report.
