Is Trump just using crypto voters? Harris isn’t so innocent either
Trump’scryptoplanssoundperfectonpaper—butwhat’sthecatch?CouldHarris’understatedapproachholdthekeytoasafer,smartercryptofuture? Asthe2024U.S.presidentialraceentersitsfinalstages,bothDonaldTrumpandKamalaHarrisarerampingupeffortstowooagrowingbutoftenoverlookedgroupofvoters—cryptovoters. Trump,withhisnewlylaunchedWorldLibertyFinancial(WLF)tokenandplansfora“Bitcoin(BTC)andCryptoAdvisoryCouncil,”haspositionedhimselfasavocalsupporterofcryptoanddecentralizedfinance. Ontheotherhand,VicePresidentHarrishasquietlybegunoutliningpoliciesaimedatprotectingcryptoinvestors,particularlyinBlackcommunities,throughherOpportunityAgenda. Let’sdivedeeperintowhatTrumpandHarrisareofferingtothecryptocommunity,howtheirpoliciesstackup,andwhatitmeansforvoterswhoarehopingtoseeclearerregulations—andmaybealittlemoredigitalcoinintheirpockets. TableofContents Trump’scryptocourtship Harris’scautiousapproachtocrypto Whataretheodds? Trump’scryptocourtship DonaldTrumphastransformedhisstanceoncryptoinawaythatspeaksdirectlytoakeygroupofvoters,acalculatedmovetotapintotherisinginfluenceofthecryptocommunityinAmerica. ItallstartedinMaywhenTrump’scampaignbeganacceptingcryptodonations,anotablechangefromhisearlierskepticalviews.Thiswasfollowedbyseveralstrategicmovesaimedatconvincingthecryptocommunitythathe’stheircandidate. ByJune,TrumppubliclythrewhissupportbehindBitcoinminers,expressinghishopethattheremainingBitcoinwouldbemined“righthereinAmerica”–akeymessageforthoseconcernedabouttheexodusofminingoperationstocountrieslikeRussiaandKazakhstan. ButTrumpdidn’tstopthere.HisappearanceattheBitcoinConferenceinNashvilleattheendofJulymarkedacrucialmomentinhiscryptocampaign. Standingbeforeapackedroomofcryptoadvocates,TrumpnotonlypromisedtoestablishanationalBitcoinreserveifelected—anunprecedentedmove—buthealsovowedtofireSECChairmanGaryGensler. Thispromise,metwithastandingovation,struckachordwithcryptovoters,manyofwhomseeGenslerasanobstacletotheindustry’sgrowthduetohisfirmstanceonregulatingdigitalassetslikestocksandbonds. ThecreationofanationalBitcoinreserve,pairedwithhispledgetoformaBitcoinandCryptoAdvisoryCouncil,sethimapartfromhisopponents,especiallyinapoliticalarenawhereothercandidateshaveremainedcautiousoncrypto. Beyondpolicypromises,Trumphasalsomadehighlyvisiblegesturestoshowhissupportforcrypto.DuringacampaignstopatPubkey,aBitcoin-themedbarinNewYork,TrumpbecamethefirstformerU.S.presidenttousecryptocurrencyinatransaction,buyingadozenburgersusingBitcoin. AtthecenterofTrump’scryptoeffortslieshispersonalproject,WLF,aDeFiplatformlaunchedinSeptember2024.Marketedasacryptobankwhereuserscanborrow,lend,andinvest,WLFisclearlydesignedtolurecryptovotersbyofferingthemsomethingtangible. Theplatform’snativetoken,WLFI,wasintroducedwithmuchfanfare,aimingtoraise$300millionatavaluationof$1.5billion.Yet,theprojecthasstruggledtomeetitsambitiousgoals,withonly$12.9millionraisedsofar. Morecontroversialisthetokenallocation—Trumpandhisfamilyarepoisedtoreceive75%ofthenetprotocolrevenue,raisingquestionsabouttransparencyandhowmuchoftheprojectisforthebenefitofitsusersversustheTrumpfamily. WLFclaimstobeapolitical,yetthetimingandTrump’sheavyinvolvementmakeitclearthatthisisasmuchapoliticalplayasitisafinancialone.Theproject’sroadmapincludesboldpromises,butitsslowprogressandtheoutsizedfinancialbenefitsfortheTrumpfamilyhavesparkedskepticism. Still,Trump’ssupportersviewtheprojectaspartofhisbroadernarrativeoffinancialindependenceandAmericaneconomicstrength,tiedneatlytohispoliticalmessaging. Harris’scautiousapproachtocrypto WhileTrumphastakenanaggressiveandhands-onapproachtowooingthecryptocommunity,KamalaHarrishaschosenamoremeasuredpath. Harris,thecurrentVicePresident,hasnotmadecryptoacenterpieceofhercampaign,butrecentmovessuggestsheisawareofthegrowingimportanceofdigitalassetsandtheirimpactonvoters. ThefirstrealsignsofHarris’approachcameduringaroundtableeventattheDemocraticNationalConventioninChicago,whereherseniorcampaignadviser,BrianNelson,shedsomelightonherpotentialpolicies. NelsonmadeitclearthatHarrisintendstosupportpoliciesthatallowemergingtechnologieslikecryptotogrowwhileensuringtheyareadequatelyregulated.Thoughthemessagewasvague,itmarkedthefirstpublicstancefromHarris’camponthematter. ThiscarefuldancebecamemoreapparentwhenHarrisrecentlyintroducedher“OpportunityAgenda”,abroadereconomicplanaimedatimprovingfinancialinclusion. Onekeyaspectofthisagendaistheprotectionofcryptoinvestors,particularlyBlackAmericans,ademographicwhereover20%ownorhaveowneddigitalassets.…