Crypto industry leaders raise $100,000 for Kamala Harris

A group of crypto industry leaders are planning a fundraiser to raise $100,000 for Kamala Harris’ campaign with hopes of influencing her stance on cryptocurrency.

The Blockchain Foundation, a self-described “cryptocurrency education movement”, has a fundraiser planned for September 13 in Washington DC. With tickets ranging from $500 to $5,000, the goal is to raise $100,000 for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.

The initiative is intended to bring together members of the crypto community who support Harris. So far, the Democratic presidential nominee hasn’t been particularly vocal about cryptocurrency or her stance on it.

Currently, Harris holds a narrow 3.2% lead over Trump in national polls, a lead she has maintained since September 1. While $100,000 may be a drop in the ocean among the millions required for a presidential campaign, it’s a sign that not all sections of the crypto industry are backing Trump, or at the very least, that some are contemplating a Harris victory and seeking ways to influence her policy-making.

Harris is currently marginally ahead of Trump in polling. Source: fivethirtyeight.com “Why not seize on the first fundraiser — which there will be many others — to actually make a statement about what crypto is for Democrats as a potentially new administration contemplates how do they look at this?” Blockchain Foundation Executive Director Cleve Mesidor told Reuters. The crypto industry under Biden and Harris

The Biden administration’s relationship with the crypto industry hasn’t been trouble-free.  On May 31, President Biden vetoed a House move to repeal SEC’s SAB 121, which requires financial institutions to list customer crypto assets on their balance sheets. This makes it harder for such companies to work with crypto companies, making it an unpopular decision within the industry.

Before pulling out from the race, Biden’s campaign had already begun efforts to reach out to crypto leaders and gain their support – and now it seems the leaders represented by the Blockchain Foundation are returning the favor. However, the Democrats lag behind President Trump in regard to courting crypto voters. The 45th POTUS has previously vowed to make the US the ‘crypto capital’ of the world and his sons launched their own crypto platform in August.

Readwrite reached out to Cleve Mesidor for comment on the goals of the fundraiser.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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