KEYTAKEAWAYS
- Kamala Harris will not speak at Bitcoin Conference 2024 in Nashville.
- Organizer cites concerns over current administration's crypto stance and Ulbricht's imprisonment.
CONTENT
Organizer David Bailey suggests Harris must address Ross Ulbricht’s sentence before engaging with the Bitcoin community, highlighting the growing importance of crypto policy in the 2024 US Presidential Election landscape.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic frontrunner for the 2024 US Presidential Election, will not be speaking at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville this week, as confirmed by event organizer David Bailey.
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Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc., revealed that while his team had been in discussions with Harris’ campaign about a potential appearance, the decision for her not to participate came as “no surprise.” He attributed this to the current administration’s approach to crypto regulation, which many in the industry perceive as hostile.
The organizer highlighted the case of Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road darknet market, who is serving a life sentence without parole. Bailey suggested that commuting Ulbricht’s sentence should be considered “table stakes” for any politician seeking to address the Bitcoin community.
“What can she say to us when she’s actively imprisoning developers, forcing our industry overseas, attacking PoW… it would have been a disaster for her,” Bailey stated on Twitter.
It’s worth noting that Ulbricht was not imprisoned under the current administration; he was sentenced in 2015 during Barack Obama’s presidency. His appeals in 2017 and 2018 were unsuccessful.
The discussion around Harris’ potential appearance comes at a time when crypto regulation and adoption are becoming increasingly important political issues, with 14% of US citizens holding Bitcoin. Harris’s stance on digital assets remains largely unknown, leading to speculation about her potential approach if elected.
Meanwhile, other presidential candidates have been more vocal in their support for cryptocurrencies. Former President Donald Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence if elected. Kennedy has also proposed integrating Bitcoin into US debt management strategies and owns over $1 million worth of Bitcoin.
The Trump campaign recently began accepting donations in various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Rumors also suggest he might declare Bitcoin a strategic reserve asset, although such a move would require Congressional approval.
With Harris’ absence from the Bitcoin Conference, attention now turns to Trump’s direct address to the Bitcoin audience, underscoring the growing significance of crypto policy in the upcoming election.
>> Also read: 2024 U.S. Crypto Regulation and Market Impact Analysis
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