Vice President Harris Signals Support for AI and Digital Assets in Presidential Campaign

Vice President Kamala Harris has finally made her first public statement on AI and digital assets since she became the frontrunner for the presidency among Democrats. Harris laid out her vision for fostering innovation while making sure consumers are protected.

"We are going to be working together, investing in America's competitiveness and future," Harris added after she underscored the need toward stimulating innovative technologies. "Our goal: promote innovative technologies, including AI and digital assets, and simultaneously protect our consumers and investors."

The comments from the Vice President come at a time when the crypto industry has watched closely for any indication from potential presidential contenders of what their sentiments on the topic of digital currencies are.

Harris's comments have been received with cautious optimism in the crypto community. Coinbase policy chief Faryar Shirzad called it an "important and constructive statement," though he noted it wasn't as forward-leaning as positions taken by Republican rival Donald Trump.

However, while Jake Chervinsky, legal chief at crypto venture firm Variant welcomed the progress, he is cautious around the interpretation of "consumer protection," given that the term has been used to justify actions that are perceived as harmful to the crypto industry.