VP Harris pledges pro-crypto policies for Black investors

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris released a plan to back Black men through friendly cryptocurrency regulations.

Dubbed the “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men,” Harris’ campaign team said the Democratic presidential candidate intends to support digital asset policies that protect Black crypto investors. According to a document released on Oct. 14, over 20% of Black Americans either own or have owned cryptocurrencies.

New technologies like blockchain could widen access to banking and capital-raising facilities for Black men, Harris said as part of her commitment to “protect crypto assets.”

She will make sure owners of and investors in digital assets benefit from a regulatory framework so that Black men and others who participate in this market are protected.

Kamala Harris campaign team

The Kamala Harris agenda joins a growing list of crypto-focused campaign moves weeks ahead of November’s U.S. presidential elections.

In September, the Harris-Walz ticket vowed to balance investor protection and support for innovative industries like cryptocurrencies. The 80-page economic plan also mentioned backing for artificial intelligence, an ecosystem with several digital asset intersections.

Cryptocurrencies have been a recurring topic during the 2024 presidential campaign trail, even though digital assets were absent from talking points during candidate debates.

Harris’ opponent and former U.S. president, Donald Trump, has promised to support Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining in America. Trump’s proposed plans include a national Bitcoin reserve and regulatory frameworks to position the U.S. as the world’s crypto capital.

The Republican presidential candidate also launched a decentralized finance project known as World Liberty Financial. WLFI claimed it has whitelisted over 100,000 accredited investors and has scheduled a public token sale this week.

As Harris’ agenda met mixed reactions from industry proponents, crypto researcher and skeptic Molly White argued that voter interest in digital assets may have been misinterpreted. White cited a Paradigm survey of Democratic voters, which posited that most Black Americans do not regard crypto as a plus for the U.S. economy.