David Plouffe, a senior adviser to former Vice President Harris's 2024 presidential campaign, is joining Coinbase's global advisory council, signaling an expansion of the cryptocurrency exchange's political reach.
Plouffe, who was also a top aide to former President Obama, joins a group of political figures from both sides of the aisle on the exchange's global advisory council.
Recent hires include Chris LaCivita, co-campaign manager for President Trumps' 2024 campaign, and former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
Upon Plouffe's departure from government, he joined Uber, where he led global policy and strategy. He also built the advocacy team at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Plouffe said Thursday cryptocurrency "speaks directly to how people want to live their financial lives."
"Faster and cheaper, with fewer gatekeepers," Plouffe said. "It reflects the desires of today's customers and voters alike. Policymakers who understand that shift will be positioned to lead; those who ignore it risk being left behind."
Faryar Shirzad, Coinbase's chief policy officer, said Plouffe joins during "one of the biggest legislative moments for crypto in U.S. history."
The move to add a Democratic veteran comes as the Trump administration pushes a pro-crypto agenda and faces some backlash from Democrats concerned about the president's personal crypto ventures.
Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer slammed Coinbase for the move, arguing it shows "Coinbase has no interest in actually working with conservatives."
"Instead they want to hire and work with the most radical Democrats and Trump haters," she wrote in a lengthy post on X.
She took specific aim at Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who posted earlier Thursday to thank Trump for "ushering a new era for crypto."
Loomer called him "a real piece of work."
ICYMI: The Senate voted to wrap up debate on the GENIUS Act, which would establish regulatory rules of the road for stablecoins. A final vote on the bill is expected early next week.
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