Fighting the Fight that Needs to Be Fought

Y’all know I usually avoid politics like the plague, especially on LinkedIn, but a very scary thing is happening, and that is America’s failure to facilitate digital asset innovation, causing it to move to other countries and putting the dollar’s strength at risk.

This has sadly made crypto a political issue when the future of digital finance and innovation should have bi-partisan support. Both parties should want America to be substantively competitive in the future beyond relying on military might and the strength of the dollar.

Many Americans are also not single-issue voters, and they would like it if good crypto policy included equal rights, the rule of law, inclusion, and other progressive values. If crypto survives, but we all have to live in “Biff World” from Back to the Future Part II, that win will feel hollow to some.?

Under the Trump administration, we saw Ripple get sued, anti-crypto tweets, and an attempt by Mnuchin to shut down unhosted wallets.

While Trump’s lip service has now done a 180 in the face of massive crypto donations, he hasn’t said much in the way of real policy. Nearly every crypto proposal he’s made has been wrong or impossible, and much of what he’s said has been pandering language provided to him by Crypto Bro’s who know the right “red meat” to throw to the crowd. ?

But in fairness, a lot of the crypto community is eating it up because it gives them hope for the first time in four years. They’ve watched as some of the biggest (and oldest) Dems have been atrocious on digital innovation and have come after crypto HARD these last four years. Some of it was justifiable, but some of it wasn’t. Some “anti-crypto armies” were horribly disappointing self-interested power grabs, which broke the hearts of many voters who actually want to democratize finance and abhor killing tech that could actually get us there.?

And that last part hurt a lot of left-leaning people who would like their crypto to come without autocracy but are watching a few senior Dems steer our digital innovation policy straight toward a waterfall while others watch helplessly from the back of the ship. Trust me, I’ve had a front-row seat watching what happens when members of Congress want to do the right thing but find themselves fighting the Old Guard and party politics. Younger Dems, who are often much more tech-savvy and open to innovation as a force for good, are in office or are currently running for office, and they need help and support to amplify their voices.?

This is why I joined Crypto4Harris.?

I'm a realistic, independent voter in a two-party system that believes in gender equality, democracy, and the rule of law.? That requires me to give Harris and many other Dems a chance to turn the ship around, and we have a better chance of turning it?if industry members step forward and say we're willing to paddle harder. Instead of just saying, “Don’t regulate us,” “You can’t regulate math,” or other non-helpful, impractical responses the industry provided over the years, we’re working to provide real policy solutions that reflect the industry’s maturation. We’re putting ourselves out there, hoping that if we do everything we can to help the Dems, e.g., education and engagement that focuses on responsible digital innovation and not “number go up,” the Harris administration, if elected, will turn the ship.?

And it hurts to say this, but despite being mistreated by the current administration, the industry has to start paddling harder because we have some lost ground to make up. We let the loudest voices in the room say some crazy stuff and do some horrible things, and we didn’t do a very good job of calling it out and cleaning house.?

Now, the left-leaning voices in crypto have to get a LOT louder because the behind-closed-doors conversations aren’t going to cut it. We need a change where “Crypto LinkedIn” is much louder than “Crypto Twitter,” and the conversation is about the future of the tech and how it can help America, not "When Lambo?”

There are several Dems who see what’s happening under the current administration. They know we need a real reset in crypto policy if America is to have any chance at staying competitive in a digital world where crypto, stablecoins, tokenization, etc., are clearly the future of digital finance, cross-border payments, and so much more.

Many of us are working with them to get the Dems back on track towards a pro-“responsible innovation” tech policy that treats crypto like the future tech it is instead of the criminal money it started as 15 years ago.?

For some of us, we feel it’s critical that crypto’s success in America not come at the expense of fundamental things it will need to survive: regulation that is clear and fit for purpose, inclusion principles that ensure it fulfills its potential to democratize finance, and a rule of law that applies to all and not just political opponents.?

I’m not sure we’ll win. I’ve watched firsthand as Congressional leaders made the choices that were best for them in the short term and not for America in the long term. I’ve watched the DOJ bring the cases they could win and not the ones that needed to be brought. As a former government employee, my eyes are wide open that we could fight this fight, and Harris stays the course, taking us right over the waterfall. However, I have just enough faith left to think she and other young Dems who are looking with concern at America's current digital innovation policy won't let that happen.

But win or lose, I believe we should fight the fights that need to be fought. And if you’re a left-leaning fan of crypto and digital innovation, I hope you’ll join us. We’re starting with a town hall this Wednesday at 8 pm EDT. (It’s the beginning of the fight, so remember, we’ll likely have more rounds.)

The fight has to begin now, though, if we want democratic principles, digital innovation, and America to remain competitive with its soul intact.?

I hope you’ll join us.