Coinbase chief financial officer Alesia Haas announced today that US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is using the company’s Commerce platform to accept crypto donations for her campaign.
The disclosure came during a discussion with Citigroup’s payments director Peter Christiansen at the 2024 Global TMT Conference in New York, according to a recording reviewed by Fortune.
The announcement follows reports in August that Coinbase was in talks with the Harris campaign, though Harris’ team has yet to respond to requests for comment, leaving questions about the scope of the collaboration.
Historically, the Democratic Party under President Joe Biden has been less open to crypto than Republicans. However, recent lobbying efforts suggest a potential shift in that stance. Haas noted that Harris accepting crypto donations represents a significant development, saying, “She’s currently using Coinbase Commerce to accept crypto for her own campaign.”
Despite Haas’ claims, advocacy group Crypto4Harris has stated that it is not aware of any official crypto integration with Harris’ campaign. Harris’ official fundraising website does not currently display any crypto donation options. In June, Future Forward, a super PAC, announced that it had raised $50 million to support Harris, but no details were provided about crypto involvement.
Haas expressed cautious optimism about Harris’ role in shaping crypto legislation, but details remain sparse. Meanwhile, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong reportedly confirmed that the company has not donated directly to any presidential campaign.
*This is not investment advice.