Fortune: Harris May Share Her Stance on Bitcoin in Coming Weeks

On 27 July, Fortune reported that Kamala Harris' team is actually giving serious consideration to a Bitcoin 2024 conference invite, according to people familiar with the matter. That in itself is news. As a Democratic candidate whose leadership has been hostile to cryptocurrencies, the fact that she's 'in talks' to address 30,000 Bitcoin enthusiasts reflects just how much policy could change under Harris.

Gary DeWaal, a former senior trial attorney at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), told Fortune that he doesn't expect Harris to comment on cryptocurrencies before 7 August, when she is due to announce her vice-presidential pick. "That's her priority right now," he said.

For one thing, when Biden became president, many of his economic advisers were former colleagues of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is a staunch cryptocurrency critic. Harris has no such connections. That cryptocurrency lobbyist said Harris's tech advisers are considered pro-cryptocurrency, while her husband, Douglas Emhoff, is a 'cryptocurrency enthusiast'. He added: "I expect her to shift her position."

In a possible positive sign, this week businessman and Bitcoin enthusiast Mark Cuban told Decrypt that he had received multiple questions about cryptocurrencies from Harris' team.