David Plouffe, who worked as an adviser on former US Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, will be joining Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council.
In a Thursday notice, Coinbase said Plouffe would join former lawmakers, industry leaders, and others on the company’s advisory council, seemingly to advise the exchange on policies moving forward in the US and abroad, as well as its role in future elections. The appointment of Plouffe to the council marked one of his first roles in crypto and policy since leaving Harris’ campaign.
“It’s important to understand that someone who holds crypto or stablecoin, that might not be the most important issue to them voting,” Plouffe said at Coinbase’s State of Crypto Summit, adding:
“If you’re a politician running for office, the ability to talk to folks who may be crypto enthusiasts who aren’t sure whether that they’re going to participate, maybe they haven’t participated before. Crypto may be the entrance, but then you can talk about your economic plans beyond that…”
Plouffe’s addition to the Coinbase council could signal efforts by the exchange to continue to remain politically active in the US. CEO Brian Armstrong has cozied up to the Trump administration since the 2024 election, supporting the GENIUS stablecoin bill in Congress ahead of a crucial vote and meeting with the president one-on-one.
Nonpartisan approach to crypto policies?
Trump’s co-campaign manager for the 2024 election, Chris LaCivita, joined the Coinbase council in January. The council’s members have included several former US lawmakers, including former Senator Kyrsten Sinema and former Senator Pat Toomey.
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Trump also addressed attendees at the Thursday Coinbase event, speaking in a prerecorded message about his future crypto policies, including support for the GENIUS Act and a digital asset market structure bill. At the time of publication, neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives had passed either bill, but senators were expected to vote on the stablecoin bill soon.
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