Despite rumors swirling that the Democratic front-runner for the 2024 US presidential election, Kamala Harris, will speak at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville this week, David Bailey has confirmed that she will. do not attend.
David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc. and organizer of The Bitcoin Conference, confirmed that this decision comes amid ongoing discussions about the Democratic Party’s position on Bitcoin, crypto and blockchain technology.
As Bailey reported on Twitter, his team was in discussions with Harris’ campaign about a possible appearance at the conference. However, he later announced that Harris would not be participating, stating that it was “no surprise.”
Bailey suggested that Harris’ absence may be due to the current administration’s approach to crypto regulation, which is seen as hostile by many in the industry.
The Bitcoin conference organizer also raised the issue of Ross Ulbricht’s capture as a potential stumbling block for Harris’ involvement in the crypto community. Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet market, is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
He noticed,
“What can she say to us if she is actively jailing developers, forcing our industry abroad, attacking PoW… it would have been a disaster for her.”
For the sake of transparency, Ulbricht was not jailed under Biden; he was convicted in 2015 when Barrack Obama was president. He appealed sentence twice in 2017 under Donald Trump. In 2018, the Supreme Court declined to hear his case.
Bailey argued that commuting Ulbricht’s sentence should be considered “table stakes” for any politician looking to appeal to the Bitcoin community.
“I have to be honest, I feel like Kamala should commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence before addressing the Bitcoin community. Those are the bets on the tables.’
Although Harris is currently vice president and would not be able to personally commute Ulbricht’s sentence, Bailey appeared to issue an ultimatum about a possible invitation. It is unclear at this time if this was why Harris did not attend the conference or if she outright refused. CryptoSlate contacted Bailey for confirmation but did not respond until press time.
Bailey pointed out that former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence if elected. This commitment has been well received by many in the crypto world. Donald Trump did not commute Ulbricht’s sentence through a presidential pardon during his first term, but has stated he will do so this time if elected.
The discussion about Harris’ possible appearance at the Bitcoin conference comes at a time when crypto regulation and adoption are becoming increasingly important political issues, with 14% of US citizens owning Bitcoin. Harris’ stance on digital assets remains largely unknown, leading to speculation about whether a Harris administration would continue the Biden administration’s approach or take a more crypto-friendly stance.
Meanwhile, other presidential candidates have been more vocal in their support of cryptocurrencies. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed integrating Bitcoin into US debt management strategies and owns more than $1 million worth of Bitcoin.
Similarly, the Trump campaign recently started accepting donations for several cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. There are also rumors that he would declare Bitcoin a strategic reserve, although any president would need congressional approval.
With Harris absent from the Bitcoin conference, attention now returns to Trump and his direct address to a Bitcoin audience.