After months of tiptoeing around the subject of crypto, Kamala Harris’ campaign came out swinging on Monday with an explicitly pro-digital assets agenda, as part of a platform targeting Black male voters.
The platform, “Kamala Harris Will Deliver for Black Men,” includes a commitment from the Vice President that if elected, she would support “a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected.”
The document goes further to state that Harris “appreciates the ways in which new technologies can broaden access to banking and financial services,” and that 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.”
Those statements easily constitute the most outright pro-crypto positions ever put forth by Harris or her campaign. Previously, the Democratic presidential nominee had only ever referenced the industry in passing. She had never offered commitments to any concrete pro-crypto policies, something her opponent, former president Donald Trump, has been pitching for months.
It is notable not only that Harris finally appears to have committed to a full-throated stance on the issue, but also that she has done so within the very particular context of attempting to woo Black male voters—a demographic that has long been crucial to Democrats, but that the Harris campaign has recently expressed concern about losing ground with in 2024.
Pro-crypto policy is just one of several carrots Harris is now attempting to dangle in order to shore up support with Black men. Others listed in Monday’s policy paper include promises to legalize marijuana; to provide a million fully forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs; and to create specialized education, training, and mentorship programs to assist Black men in getting good-paying jobs in high-demand industries.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
