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Warren, Ocasio-Cortez Ask Regulators to Clarify Stance on Crypto Hires

The U.S. lawmakers asked how long an individual is barred from seeking employment in an industry he or she has regulated.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have asked regulators to clarify their rules on former employees taking roles in the crypto industry.

In a letter sent to almost all federal financial regulators, the lawmakers noted "the increasing number of revolving door hires" and asked how long individuals involved in regulating the crypto industry are barred from seeking employment in it.

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Along with their fellow signatories, the two say they are concerned that crypto firms may appoint former financial regulators and government officials to add some teeth to their lobbying efforts.

"We are concerned that the crypto revolving door risks corrupting the policymaking process and undermining the public’s trust in our financial regulators," the letter said.

The letter was addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission), Treasury, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Warren has been a frequent critic of the crypto industry, particularly with regard to the energy usage of bitcoin mining.

Read more: Crypto Investment Firm Digital Currency Group Registers Executive as Lobbyist


Jamie Crawley

Jamie has been part of CoinDesk's news team since February 2021, focusing on breaking news, Bitcoin tech and protocols and crypto VC. He holds BTC, ETH and DOGE.

Jamie Crawley