Hunting Down the Mysterious Crypto Voter

On the Hunt for the Elusive Crypto Voter

Crypto Candidates: Is Crypto a Voter Issue?

Election season is in full swing, and surprisingly, candidates are even willing to discuss crypto. It seems there’s an audience for it, but the real question is, does crypto actually matter to voters?

Now, picture this: A New Hampshire state representative stands in front of a room filled with eager industry professionals, state lawmakers, and three presidential candidates. He asks, “Raise your hand if you’re from out of state.” To his surprise, more than half the people in the room raise their hands. It’s like a crypto invasion! These visitors have come from far and wide to hear about the upcoming election and what these candidates have to say about the wild world of digital assets.

But let’s be real, crypto isn’t exactly the hottest campaign issue. Sure, it’s been mentioned in one of the primary debates, and we’ve seen some candidates express their views on it. But let’s face it, the economy and healthcare tend to rank much higher in voter priorities. Nevertheless, there’s a growing movement to make crypto a prominent issue for voters. Will it succeed? Well, with the election still a long way off, only time will tell.

To get a pulse on the situation, my colleague Jesse Hamilton and I traveled to Manchester, New Hampshire to hear what these presidential candidates had to say about crypto. We were also curious to see if any voters were present who considered crypto regulation as a top concern.

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Three presidential candidates took the stage: Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and Rep. Dean Phillips. The room was buzzing with excitement as over 100 people gathered to listen to these candidates, along with other industry names like Coinbase’s Kara Calvert.

Now, here’s the clincher. I spoke to some of the audience members, and guess what? None of them said they would vote solely based on crypto issues. But hold up! That doesn’t mean they weren’t interested. These folks were passionate enough about the industry to attend an event focused on the intersection of crypto and politics. So, while it may not be their primary focus, it’s clear that crypto has captured their attention.

The candidate forum was hosted by Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed organization that aims to connect crypto enthusiasts directly with their elected officials. And let’s just say, they’ve done pretty well for themselves, raising over $2 million from 80,000 individual contributors. Although, it’s worth noting that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong contributed a hefty chunk of that change—over $1 million to be precise. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

But let’s not forget the most important question: What do the elected officials themselves think about the crypto revolution? New Hampshire State Representative Keith Ammon believes that blockchain technology is becoming increasingly interesting to the masses. It’s still a relatively small segment of the population that truly understands the intricacies of crypto, but interest is growing exponentially.

State Representative and Majority Leader Jason Osborne shares Ammon’s sentiment, describing the crypto industry as a “very enthusiastic segment of society.” He believes that these candidates have an excellent opportunity to connect with crypto enthusiasts and gain their support.

The enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. Justin Gilanyi, founder of WhereArt.Works, traveled all the way from Ohio to participate in the event. He’s excited about the efforts being made across the nation to raise awareness about the positive aspects of crypto and blockchain technology. Like many others, he recognizes that sensible legislation is necessary to provide guardrails for this new technological frontier. We need legislators and leaders who truly grasp the potential of crypto and can foster an environment conducive to economic growth.

But are these candidates the ones we’ll ultimately see leading the charge on crypto issues? Let’s face it, they’re not exactly frontrunners for their parties’ nominations. It remains to be seen whether crypto will gain enough traction to capture the attention of heavyweights like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. December 2023 seems like an eternity away.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the crypto landscape and the relationship between digital assets and the political sphere. Who knows, we might just witness the rise of a crypto-savvy president who rocks a Bitcoin pin on their lapel. Now wouldn’t that be something?

Read more about the event and get the scoop on all things crypto on CoinDesk!

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This Week

Tuesday: – 17:00 UTC (6:00 p.m. CET) The European Banking Authority released its 2023 Risk Assessment Report.

Wednesday: – 14:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. EST) The House Financial Services Committee held a subcommittee hearing on Iran, fund movements, and possible sanctions concerns. Crypto got a brief mention during the opening statement of a Treasury official, but wasn’t a significant part of the discussion. – 14:45 UTC (9:45 a.m. EST) The Commodity Futures Trading Commission had an opening meeting, where they voted on advancing a proposed rulemaking on fund protections and granting a DCO license to Bitnomial, a bitcoin futures platform. – 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. EST) A bankruptcy hearing for FTX took place, with the judge expressing a desire to resolve an outstanding tax issue.

Thursday: – 21:15 UTC (4:15 p.m. EST) The Financial Stability Oversight Council convened to discuss its annual report.

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Elsewhere

• Wired’s Andy Greenberg digs into the compliance requirements Binance will have to face as part of its settlement and the access it will have to grant the U.S. government.
• Congressman Patrick McHenry plans to work on crypto market structure and stablecoin bills during his last year in office.
• The Verge published a series of articles on the history of Twitter.
• A federal judge in the Southern District of New York expresses curiosity about the use of an artificial intelligence tool in drafting a brief for a case involving Michael Cohen.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about what I should cover next week or any feedback you’d like to share, feel free to email me at [email protected] or find me on Twitter @nikhileshde. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Don’t forget to join our group discussion on Telegram. It’s where all the cool crypto enthusiasts hang out!

Until next time, folks!

Edited by Shaurya Malwa.

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