TLDR
Democratic donors are pushing for Vice President Kamala Harris to speak at the upcoming Permissionless crypto conference in October.
The conference organizers, Blockworks, are exploring ways to secure Harris’s appearance at the event.
Donald Trump recently gave a pro-crypto speech at Bitcoin 2024, promising to create a strategic Bitcoin stockpile for the U.S.
Blockworks aims to present a bipartisan perspective at Permissionless, contrasting with the “Republican-heavy” focus of Bitcoin 2024.
The organizers are also in talks with other politicians from both parties to speak at the event.
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the cryptocurrency industry is positioning itself at the center of political discourse.
Blockworks, organizer of the upcoming Permissionless conference, is making efforts to secure appearances from high-profile politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Jason Yanowitz, founder of Blockworks, revealed that major Democratic donors are urging the conference to book Harris as a speaker for the event, scheduled for October 9-11.
These donors have offered to facilitate discussions between Harris’s representatives and the conference organizers, although Yanowitz noted that they haven’t heard directly from Harris’s campaign.
“We’re getting pushed by some of the biggest Democratic donors to have her be there,” Yanowitz told Decrypt. He emphasized the conference’s aim to “pull people from both sides [of the political aisle],”
The push for Harris’s appearance comes in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s recent pro-crypto speech at Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Trump, who had previously expressed skepticism about cryptocurrencies, has now promised to create a “strategic Bitcoin stockpile” for the United States if elected. He also pledged to fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler “on day one” of his administration, a move that resonated with many in the crypto community.
Blockworks is consciously working to differentiate Permissionless from the “Republican-heavy” focus of Bitcoin 2024. Yanowitz stated, “It’s our duty… to tell both sides of the story.”
To this end, the organizers are in talks with both Republican and Democratic politicians from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, including “most of the pro-crypto Democrats.” They are also actively engaging with the team of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Mike Novogratz, CEO and founder of Galaxy Digital and a prominent Democrat, is slated to speak at Permissionless. Novogratz has been encouraging the crypto community not to turn its back on Harris, although Yanowitz declined to comment on whether Novogratz was involved in brokering a potential appearance by the Vice President.
The timing of the conference is particularly significant, coming just weeks before the presidential election. Many in the crypto industry view this election as a referendum on the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies, making the presence of high-profile political figures all the more crucial.
Yanowitz expressed optimism about the event, stating that Permissionless is on track to be the largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency conference of the second half of 2024 in terms of ticket sales. “Demand for the event is already exceeding all of our expectations,” he said.
However, securing appearances from high-level politicians, especially those involved in an ongoing presidential campaign, presents significant challenges. A former U.S. Secret Service agent noted that invitations for such events typically need to be extended several weeks in advance, particularly given the recent transition of power from President Joe Biden to Vice President Harris.
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