Crypto investors and execs urging Vice President Kamala Harris to take a positive approach toward the industry are planning a September 13 fundraiser for the Democratic presidential nominee, Reuters reported.
Cleve Mesidor, executive director of the Blockchain Foundation and one of the group’s organisers, told Reuters that tickets range from $500 to $5,000, with a goal of raising $100,000.
While the amount is small, it signals that some in the industry are supporting Harris rather than Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has courted big donors with promises to introduce crypto-friendly policies should he be elected.
The Securities and Exchange Commission under President Joe Biden, who is not seeking reelection, and Chair Gary Gensler has filed numerous lawsuits against crypto companies in recent years, many arguing that they have violated securities laws the companies say don’t apply to them.
Organisers of the fundraiser also include Tiffany Smith, co-chair of the Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Working Group at law firm WilmerHale, the report said.
Smith told Reuters: “We wanted to make sure that with the change in the presidential nominee for the Democrats, that we were supportive and we came together to help her understand the importance of this industry.”
Mesidor said: “Why not seize on the first fundraiser … to actually make a statement about what crypto is for Democrats as a potentially new administration contemplates how do they look at this?”
A different group called Crypto4Harris also plans fundraisers for the Democratic nominee, and held a town hall earlier this month during which billionaire Mark Cuban and Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci spoke out for Harris.
Crypto market movers
Bitcoin is up 0.58% today at $59,253.68.
Ethereum is up 0.35% today at $2,524.97.
What we are reading
A U.S. Crypto Bill’s 2024 Chances — CoinDesk
UK’s crypto dreams stall as registrations with financial regulator remain low — DL News
The Number of Crypto Millionaires Has Boomed — Investopedia
