A group of crypto industry leaders is planning to raise $100,000 for Vice President Kamala Harris to influence her stance on cryptocurrency. The fundraiser is set for September 13 in Washington, D.C., and tickets will range from $500 to $5,000, according to Reuters. This move comes after Harris has a slight advantage over Donald Trump in national polls.
Many industry stakeholders, including the Blockchain Foundation, are responsible for planning and executing the fundraiser. They aim to encourage Harris to change her stance on cryptocurrency if she becomes the president in November. As of now, Harris leads Trump in the national polls by a 3.2% difference, a lead that has remained constant after Biden pulled out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris, according to FiveThirtyEight as of September 1.
Harris Fundraiser to Promote Crypto-Friendly Policies
The executive director of the Blockchain Foundation, Cleve Mesidor, said that the fundraiser seeks to teach the Democrats about cryptocurrency and fight for policies that could be helpful for this sector. Mesidor said she also wants it to spark discussions about how a possible Harris presidency may give a boost to the crypto industry and increase funding for people of color.
This is part of a much larger project of swaying the approaching election, with companies like Coinbase and Ripple pledging $120 million for 2024 via super political action committees like Fairshake. These committees have been involved in campaigning against Harris and the Democratic Party.
Harris’ campaign held a conference call with cryptocurrency industry leaders in August. This meeting happened after a round table discussion that was held in July. A senior adviser for Harris’ campaign, Brian Nelson, said that Harris will stand behind policies favorable for new technologies and industries, including crypto.
The upcoming fundraiser aligns with the work of another group Crypto4Harris that also helped Harris campaign through events like a virtual town hall with Democratic lawmakers in August.
