Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas recently proposed using the exchange’s Commerce platform to allow cryptocurrency payments to be sent to US Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Speaking at Citi’s 2024 Global TMT Conference in New York on September 4, Haas stated that Vice President Harris had a “huge opportunity” to win over voters in the 2024 election. This could be done by endorsing legislation that is beneficial for the cryptocurrency sector.
According to Haas, the Democratic presidential contender is now collecting cryptocurrency payments for her campaign through Coinbase Commerce. This development prompted rumors that the campaign was accepting digital assets directly.
A Harris campaign spokesman, however, clarified that the campaign was now able to accept cryptocurrency contributions via Future Forward PAC. Moreover, Open Secrets reports that Super PAC has raised over $163 million in support of Harris.
In 2020, Future Forward invested $150 million to help then-Vice President Joe Biden win the presidency. His senior adviser Anita Dunn, who has previously attended meetings debating crypto policy with industry executives, allegedly planned to join the Super PAC after Biden declared he would not seek reelection in 2024.
Crypto’s Place in the 2024 Presidential Election
On the opposing end of the political spectrum, Republican front-runner Donald Trump has taken Bitcoin contributions all along his campaign. Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss gave $2 million to Trump, who is depicted as pro-crypto.
This comes after they recently accused the Biden administration for being against crypto. The Winklevoss twins also gave Fairshake, a super PAC that backs politicians that promote cryptocurrencies, an estimated $4.9 million.
Fairshake’s war chest exceeds Future Forward’s total cash raised by more than $202 million. However, the crypto super PAC has found itself in hot water with some Republican Party members.
This after donating money to two Democratic lawmakers running against Trump-backed Senate candidates in Michigan and Arizona.
Putin Declares Support for Harris over Trump
In addition, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated that Moscow now backs Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced the outgoing US President Joe Biden on the Democratic Party presidential ticket, following his “removal” from the contest.
Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, is home to an economic summit where Putin stated that Moscow “will support her.” Donald Trump, has drawn criticism from Putin for imposing “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia like no other president has ever introduced before him.”
Putin’s remarks follow the announcement of broad penalties by the Biden administration. This is to counteract misinformation efforts supported by the Russian government aimed at influencing the 2024 elections and strengthening Trump’s candidacy.
Putin supported Biden over Trump in February, referring to the incumbent as being more “predictable.” However, Putin was urged by the White House to “stay out” of US elections.
Putin made his remarks one day after the US imposed sanctions on the senior editors of the state-run Russian news network RT and charged two of its workers. They were accused by Washington of attempting to sway the next US election.
