David Plouffe Joins Kamala Harris’ Campaign Team

David Plouffe, formerly part of Barack Obama’s team and involved in the cryptocurrency sector, is reportedly joining U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign team as a senior adviser.

Plouffe has had significant involvement in the crypto space, having served on the Binance Global Advisory Board and as a global strategic advisor for Alchemy Pay, a company bridging crypto and fiat currencies.

In his role at Alchemy Pay, Plouffe emphasized the importance of new regulations for the crypto industry. In a CoinDesk interview a year ago, he stated,

“On the government side, there has to be a sense of, okay, let’s not fit this new thing into old rules. How do we fashion new rules? But those rules have to protect the public, there has to be transparency, there has to be accountability.”

He referenced the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in a 2023 interview, noting it intensified scrutiny on the industry. Plouffe remarked,

“There is going to be regulations; the question is can the regulators find the right spot so there is confidence for consumers, there’s transparency without basically strangling the industry?”

As crypto plays a growing role in the election landscape, the Republican Party indicated support for crypto firms in its 2024 election platform, promising to end what it describes as an unlawful crackdown on the industry.

Harris’ campaign initiated outreach to the crypto community shortly after President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection and endorsed her as the potential Democratic nominee for the upcoming election. The Democratic National Convention is set to officially nominate Harris later this month.

A crypto roundtable is planned for Monday, though specifics remain unclear. White House senior adviser Anita Dunn is expected to attend, alongside Ripple’s CEO and executive chairman. Dunn is also reportedly transitioning to a super PAC supporting Harris.

In recent meetings, Dunn, lawmakers, and crypto leaders have discussed various topics, including the SEC’s actions and the necessity for the Biden administration to engage more with the crypto industry. The upcoming meeting will be less extensive than the previous one month ago.

Updated at 7:50 p.m. UTC time on Aug. 2 to include details about Ripple executives attending the crypto meeting