Inventory of Harris's potential running mates: What are their positions on Cryptocurrency?

Original author: Sander Lutz, Decrypt

Original text compiled: Alex Liu, Foresight News

Overview

• Kamala Harris’s choice of running mate may indicate her plans for governance if elected, while the top contenders for this position have shown varying degrees of support or caution towards Cryptocurrency.
• Some competitors, such as Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear, have been actively involved in or supported state-level Cryptocurrency-related activities, while other competitors like Roy Cooper have taken a more cautious approach.
• The encryption stance of other major candidates, such as Gretchen Whitmer and Mark Kelly, is not very clear, but they have political allies who support encryption legislation or otherwise indicate a potential openness to the industry.

Kamala Harris miraculously became the Democratic presidential candidate, which has overturned the script of how the November election will affect Cryptocurrency policy. For months, former President Donald Trump seemed to be the candidate in favor of Cryptocurrency, while President Joe Biden stubbornly refused to accept industry-related legislation promoted by both parties.

But now, all situations have changed.

As billionaire and prominent BTC advocate Mark Cuban told Decrypt, within 48 hours of launching her campaign, Harris’ camp reached out to him with multiple questions about Cryptocurrency policy. Industry lobbying groups are cautiously optimistic about the potential for change and are urging Harris to clearly outline her digital asset agenda during her presidency and select a running mate who supports Cryptocurrency.

How will Harris’s choice of vice president affect America’s Cryptocurrency policy? It is reported that her vice president position will be announced this week, here is the list of top candidates for the position and their rankings in Blockchain technology.

Josh Shapiro 乔什·夏皮罗

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is currently considered Harris’s top choice because he is popular in one of the most critical swing states in 2024. Although he has not publicly discussed Cryptocurrency, Pennsylvania has become one of the hottest BTCMining markets in the United States during his tenure.

As a result, Xapiro was even named as a co-defendant earlier this year with a publicly traded BTC mining company - a non-profit organization sued him for taxing the energy used by encryption mining operations that caused pollution.

Tim Walz

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a dark horse candidate for Vice President Harris, has seen his national profile skyrocket in recent weeks, but he has never made any public statements about Cryptocurrency. As a staunch progressive governor, he may have a dual perspective on Blockchain technology.

On the one hand, Walz positions himself as a pragmatist, seeking to strike a balance between strong union relationships and the desire to create job opportunities and promote innovation. However, on the other hand, the governor is pushing for one of the most progressive energy policies in the country in his state. Last year, he signed a bill requiring Minnesota to transition to 100% clean energy by 2040.

Therefore, unlike other governors on the list, Walz may not be enthusiastic about energy-intensive Cryptocurrency Mining, depending on the source of electricity used.

Roy Cooper

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is considered another competitor for the position of Vice President Harris, as he comes from a deep purple state that voted twice for Trump. However, given his rare popularity in the state and his expected role as a Democratic Senate candidate in 2026, his elevation to a running mate may be seen as an unnecessary risk.

Cooper issued a clear statement earlier this month about Crypto, vetoing a bill that would ban the implementation of Central Bank Digital Money (CBDC) in North Carolina. Banning CBDC (or ‘digital dollar’) has recently become a major issue for Republicans, who see similar blockchain technology in the hands of the state as a privacy threat.

When Cooper vetoed the bill, he spoke about the potential utility of Cryptocurrency, expressing a somewhat cautious but also somewhat flexible ‘wait-and-see’ attitude.

“The federal level is working hard to ensure that standards and safeguards are in place to protect consumers, investors, and businesses who may want to engage in digital asset currency transactions. North Carolina should wait and see how they operate before taking action,” Cooper said at the time.

Gretchen Whitmer

Although Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has publicly stated that she does not want to run as Vice President with Harris, it is reported that she is still under consideration for the position.

Whitmer has been hailed as a swing state agitator, achieving great success in embracing progressive causes without hiding, but she has rarely taken a stand on Cryptocurrency.

But she is a product of Michigan politics, and Democrats in Midwestern states have shown that they are more willing than others to dedicate themselves to the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency.

For example, two Democratic senators from Michigan support legislation favorable to the encryption industry. Senator Gary Peters broke with Biden in May, overturning the SEC’s ban on banks holding cryptocurrency, while Senator Debbie Stabenow expressed interest in drafting digital asset regulatory legislation.

For example, both Democratic senators from Michigan support legislation that is favorable to industry. Senator Gary Peters broke with Biden in May and repealed the SEC’s ban on banks holding Cryptocurrency, while Senator Debbie Stabenow expressed interest in developing digital asset regulation.

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin is the leading Democratic candidate to succeed Stabenow once he retires in January. Currently, she has received an ‘A’ rating from the pro-industry non-profit organization Stand With Crypto.

Andy Beshear

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and many other potential candidates on this list fit the same pattern: a popular Democratic governor from a lean-red state.

He was also one of the most outspoken supporters of Cryptocurrency when running for Vice President Harris. In 2021, Beshear signed two bills, including tax breaks and other incentives to attract BTCMiners to the state. Since then, Kentucky has become a hotbed for CryptocurrencyMining.

And as early as 2020, Beshear signed a bill to establish a working group to investigate potential use cases for blockchain technology at the state level.

Mark Kelly 马克·凯利

Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly won a crucial election in 2020, securing a long-held Republican seat for the Democratic Party. Since then, he has built a voting record as one of the most moderate Democrats in the Senate.

He has also recently shown support for Cryptocurrency. In May of this year, Kelly was one of the few Democratic senators who broke with Biden and voted to repeal the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s ban on banks holding Cryptocurrency.

Pete Buttigieg

Harris’s main competitor in 2020, Pete Buttigieg, did not show much understanding of his Cryptocurrency policy in his resume: first as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then as Biden’s transportation secretary, this ambitious political wunderkind has little to do with digital assets, and he has not made too many comments on this topic.

But Mayor Pete, during his brief stay in the national spotlight, has made it clear that he is not an enemy of American technology and business interests. The former McKinsey consultant received enthusiastic support from billionaire donors and Silicon Valley elites during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, despite his lack of national political experience.

Although his view on Cryptocurrency is still a question mark, it is doubtful whether Butigig is ready to become an Elizabeth Warren-level enemy of the top encryption company in the United States.

J.B. Pritzker JB 普利兹克

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and one of the most ardent supporters of Cryptocurrency among the Democrats, rumored to join the Harris camp.

“The future of Cryptocurrency is in Illinois.” Pritzker said in August 2021, long before many politicians took a stand on the issue.

But since then, the governor of this Midwestern state has basically no longer regarded Cryptocurrency as a key component of his policy agenda, while promoting Illinois to maintain a competitive pro-business environment and become a hub for the development of emerging technologies such as quantum computing.

Vice President Harris has officially become the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. Her VP selection is expected to be announced this week. What will the market’s reaction be? Let’s wait and see.