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Why Gary Gensler Will Likely Be Out as SEC Chair No Matter Who Wins the Election
Sheila Warren and Justin Slaughter explain why Gensler’s days are numbered, how Kamala Harris might do a crypto reset, and why it may not matter that Trump’s VP JD Vance is a bona fide bitcoiner.
ABOUT
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
As the 2024 elections approach, crypto voters are a real bloc that could be a deciding factor in what looks to be a tight race.
In this episode, Sheila Warren of the Crypto Council for Innovation and Justin Slaughter from Paradigm discuss the significance of Trump appearing at Bitcoin 2024, promising the crypto community pretty much everything on its bucket list, the Democrats’ seeming pro-crypto shift behind the scenes, and the game theory around Gary Gensler’s future (likely not at the SEC).
Plus, they cover the significance (and likelihood of passing) of the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Bill proposed and to be introduced by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, what would it take for Kamala Harris to show that she truly is a crypto-friendly candidate, and what the Democrats would have to do to undo the damage done by Gensler and win some of the crypto vote.
Lastly, they explore the potential impact on the SEC of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine.
Show highlights:
- The significance of a US Presidential candidate, Trump, embracing Bitcoin
- What Justin’s and Sheila’s takes are on the Democrats' sudden shift towards embracing a pro-crypto agenda, and whether they can catch up
- The key factor in Trump's shift from giving crypto platitudes to making substantive promises that top the crypto community’s wish list
- How significant crypto could be in influencing the election, particularly in swing states
- Whether Trump would even be able to fire Gary Gensler as SEC Chair, as he has promised
- How the dynamics between Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris differ from the relationship Warren has with Biden
- What could happen with the SEC Commissioner if Harris wins the presidency
- The meaning of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in the US
- How JD Vance's status as a Bitcoin owner could influence crypto voters and whether Harris could pick a pro-crypto VP
- The chances the Democratic Party adopts a crypto plank, and what it might include
- Whether there’s a chance a crypto bill could be passed this year
- How the Supreme Court's recent decision to limit agency power by overturning the Chevron doctrine could impact the SEC's approach to crypto regulation
- How Harris can establish a new stance on crypto while distancing herself from Biden's administration, without appearing disloyal
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Guests:
- Sheila Warren, CEO of Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI)
- Justin Slaughter, Policy Director at Paradigm
Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk.
HOST
Laura Shin is a crypto journalist, host of the Unchained podcast, and author of “The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze” (Public Affairs, 2022). Formerly a senior editor at Forbes, she was the first mainstream journalist to cover crypto full-time, and her podcasts and videos have had more than 15 million downloads and views. Shin has spoken about cryptocurrency at places such as TEDx San Francisco, the International Monetary Fund, Singularity University and the Oslo Freedom Forum.
She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors from Stanford University and has a master of arts from Columbia University’s School of Journalism. She lives in New York City.

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