Former President Clinton aide and OpenAI executive team member Chris Lehane is joining Coinbase as the cryptocurrency company seeks to bolster its bipartisan credibility.
The American political consultant and cryptocurrency executive said he was excited to join the company’s board of directors. release On the Coinbase website.
“I’m pleased to support Coinbase as they continue to advocate for the 52 million Americans who hold cryptocurrency — with a disproportionate focus on young people of color — and work to democratize the benefits of capitalism so more people can get their fair share of the economic pie,” Lehane said in a statement.
Lehane and two others joined Coinbase’s seven-person board of directors. The company said in a memo that we are in a “unique moment in American history” and that nine in 10 Americans across both parties believe the financial system “is in need of an update.”
The new board appointments come at a time when the company is trying to rebrand itself as bipartisan amid differing views on cryptocurrencies between Republicans and Democrats.
In an interview POLITICOLehane said he joined the board after years of discussions with the company’s management about how to build trust in cryptocurrencies. He said the majority of cryptocurrency holders are Democrats, including young people who voted for President Biden.
Lehane told the outlet he was seeing growing support from senators of both parties to tackle the restrictions. “We have Democrats in the Senate working with Republicans on a bill. There’s really hard work going on,” he said.
“It’s really cool to see this, especially in these times of increasing polarization. I think that’s one of the unique aspects of this field. You can be someone who values economic freedom, maybe a more libertarian person, or you can be someone like me who values economic opportunity,” he added. “You can see how digital assets can support a different type of financial system.”
The company itself has called on Americans to “update their systems” and find ways “cryptocurrency can be a useful tool,” noting that it has received increased attention from politicians of both parties.
“More than one million Americans, including Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, have raised their hands in support of cryptocurrency in this election, making their voices heard by their representatives who oppose it,” Coinbase said.
