BITCOIN SEASON 2: Are there too many crypto lobbyists in DC?

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Charlie and Colin dive into the growing presence of crypto lobbying in Washington, D.C., analyzing CoinDesk's coverage and the staggering $119 million spent by the industry in 2024. They contrast national lobbying orgs like the Bitcoin Policy Institute with state-level players like the Satoshi Action Fund, discussing their roles, motivations, and effectiveness. The hosts also reflect on their own grassroots efforts in Oklahoma, the risks of regulatory capture, and the long-term implications of industry money shaping public policy.

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Notes:

- Bitcoin down 30% from $109K to $76K

- Markets recovered 9.5% in one day

- Terra/Luna crash: 35% drop in one week

- FTX collapse: only 30% drop but worst sentiment

- US fiscal deficit at $36.7 trillion debt

- BitMEX "outage" may have saved 2020 crash

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro: Are there too many crypto lobbyists?

0:42 Offensive lobbying: Crypto enters DC with money and momentum

1:50 From defense to offense: Lobbying works

3:13 CoinDesk chart: $119M spent by crypto in 2024

5:20 How past regulatory scares galvanized the industry

7:20 Two types of lobbying: Good faith vs regulatory capture

10:21 Inside look: Local lobbying efforts in Oklahoma

21:20 Arch

22:34 National vs state: Satoshi Action Fund vs Bitcoin Policy Institute

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