Crypto Crafters

Speaking at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh on Sept. 25, the Democrat presidential candidate said that, if elected, she will “recommit” to technologies such as distributed ledger.

“I will recommit the nation to global leadership in the sectors that will define the next century […] remain dominant in AI and quantum computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies.”

Her comments are the latest in an apparent U-turn from the current administration, which has been hellbent on destroying the crypto industry in the US over the past three years.

The Blockchain and AI President

Moments ago at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh, PA, Kamala Harris committed to working to help the US dominate in Blockchain, AI and Quantum computing.

Specifically she said, “I will recommit the nation to global leadership in the sectors that… pic.twitter.com/CVTuo0yaYY

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) September 25, 2024

Kamala for Crypto?

Until recently, Harris has been silent on digital assets. At a New York fundraising event on Sept. 22 she broke that silence by stating that she wanted to  “invest in America’s competitiveness,” mentioning crypto for the first time in her campaign:

“We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”

However, there was only one brief mention of digital assets in her 80-page economic plan and no mentions of blockchains.

Venture capitalist Adam Cochran labeled it as “progress” adding that “She is very much interested in US financial dominance and US tech supremacy.” He added that she doesn’t stand to gain much from the crypto crowd by endorsing it anymore at this stage.

“What % of crypto voters would switch to her, that aren’t already going to vote for her, if she endorsed crypto more strongly? Almost zero.”

Skeptics were not convinced with some suggesting that if she got elected, she could reverse this course claiming that AI and crypto were bad for the environment and continue to crack down on them as the Biden administration has done.

The Stand With Crypto Alliance, a political action committee launched by Coinbase in 2023, ranks US politicians on their stance on crypto. It claims to have “not enough information” on Kamala Harris, ranks Joe Biden as “somewhat against” crypto and Donald Trump, who recently bought burgers with Bitcoin, as “strongly supportive.”

However, appears that crypto voters may already be in their camp and are unlikely to switch sides no matter what Kamala Harris comes out with next.

A Tight Race

According to FiveThirtyEight, Harris has a slim 48.4% lead in the national polls over rival Donald Trump at 45.8%.

The Polymarket prediction platform has an even slimmer gap, with Harris at 50% to Trump’s 49%, but predicts that the former President has taken the lead in the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Trump just flipped Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/IazLg1HWYi

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) September 25, 2024

Sources familiar with the living arrangements of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn have revealed interesting facts about two popular inmates. The recently arrested American rapper and celebrity Sean Combs, popularly known as Diddy, is in the same cell with Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the convicted founder of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX.

According to a New York Times report, Combs and SBF live in the same unit with other high-profile inmates, including Mexico’s former secretary of public security, García Luna, and former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández.

Combs in Cell With SBF

SBF has been at the MDC since August 2023 after a judge revoked his bail after he attempted to tamper with witnesses. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for multiple counts of fraud and for his role in the scheme that facilitated the theft of billions of dollars from FTX customers. The crypto mogul has asked to remain at the MDC to appeal the court’s decision in his case.

While SBF was first arrested in December 2022, U.S. authorities apprehended Combs about a week ago. Federal authorities raided Combs’ home and arrested him on September 16, after which an indictment charging the rapper with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy was unsealed. The U.S. government has accused the celebrity of participating in a pattern of sexual and physical abuse and violence for decades.

Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him, and despite his lawyers’ efforts to have him released on bail, the rapper has remained detained at the MDC. A judge turned down a proposal to release Combs on a $50 million bond bail and have him monitored by a security team 24/7 due to concerns about the defendant tampering with witnesses.

Living Conditions at the MDC

While Combs’ lawyers are pushing for a speedy trial, they initially complained about the MDC’s living conditions, insisting they were too terrible for a defendant waiting for trial. SBF’s attorneys made similar complaints last year, highlighting the poor jailhouse internet and the center’s failure to provide their client with his appropriate diet and medication.

However, the MDC’s living conditions appear to have improved, as Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, spoke highly of the center on Tuesday while talking to the New York Times. Agnifilo said he was grateful for the professionals at the MDC who have been helping Combs prepare his defense ahead of the trial.