United States Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned blockchain in a public speech on Wednesday for the first time. Harris pledged that if elected to the White House in November, the U.S. would “recommit” to global dominance in blockchain, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other fast-growing technology industries.
VP Harris Courts Crypto Voters Publicly
Speaking at an event hosted by The Economic Club of Pittsburgh, Democratic presidential frontrunner Kamala Harris promised that her White House would maintain America’s leadership in sectors that “define the next century,” including blockchain.
“We will invest in biomanufacturing and aerospace, remain dominant in AI and quantum computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies, [and] expand our lead in clean energy innovation and manufacturing,” Harris said in Pennsylvania on Sept. 25.
“The next generation of breakthroughs — from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear — are not just invented, but built here in America by American workers,” she added.
During Wednesday’s speech, Harris also stressed the significance of “leading the world in the industries of the future and making sure America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century.”
Harris has been mum about crypto or blockchain on the campaign trail until this past weekend when she stated during a fundraising event that her presidency would “encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting consumers and investors”.
Despite not articulating a full-throated crypto policy, Harris’ recent comments mark notable progress.
While her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, is now all-in on crypto after years of skepticism — to the extent that he has recently unveiled his own decentralized finance (DeFi) platform and promised to ensure the U.S. becomes the world capital for crypto — it remained unclear whether Harris would maintain Biden’s crypto-antagonistic stance or embark on a reset.
Trump vs. Harris: What Election Results Could Mean For Crypto Markets
Notably, pundits have forecasted mixed results for cryptocurrencies depending on who wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Analysts at broker Bernstein predicted earlier this month that a Trump win could send Bitcoin to $90,000 highs by the end of 2024. On the flip side, if Harris became president, they said the Bitcoin price could slump to as low as $30,000.
More recently, VanEck analysts speculated that a Harris victory may be a bigger boost for Bitcoin than a second term from Trump because it would “accelerate many of the structural issues that drive Bitcoin adoption in the first place.”
They went on to say that Trump’s presidency is “generally bullish” for the digital asset ecosystem as a whole due to Trump’s stance on deregulating crypto and promoting the industry’s growth in the US.
