Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday during a speech at The Economic Club of Pittsburgh that blockchain, AI, and other emerging technologies will be a key part of her administration if elected president in November.
"We will invest in biomanufacturing and aerospace, remain dominant in AI and quantum computing, blockchain and other emerging technologies, [and] expand our lead in clean energy innovation and manufacturing," she said, "so the next generation of breakthroughs—from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear—are not just invented, but built here in America by American workers."
This is the first known instance that Harris has publicly commented on blockchain or cryptocurrency during her political career, though Bloomberg reported that she courted donors at a fundraising event last weekend by mentioning plans to encourage technologies including "digital assets."
During Wednesday's speech, Harris also emphasized the importance of “leading the world in the industries of the future and making sure America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century.”
Despite consisting of a single word, Harris’ overture to the crypto industry is certainly notable. In the last several months, pro-crypto lobby groups have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2024 election in an attempt to secure the industry’s legal status amid a regulatory crackdown by President Joe Biden’s administration.
While former president Donald Trump has jumped with both feet into crypto—to the extent that he is now launching his own decentralized finance (DeFi) platform—it remained unclear whether Harris would maintain Biden’s crypto-hostile stance or attempt to pivot.
In mentioning only “blockchain” briefly—and also, crucially, saying that the United States should “remain” strong in the sector—Harris appeared to be walking the same delicate line she has navigated elsewhere in her upstart presidential campaign, between forging policy positions distinct from Biden’s and not appearing to criticize his leadership.
On Wednesday, the Harris campaign website was also updated with an 80-page economic plan, which included a single line pledging that the Vice President will, if elected, “encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”
Editor's note: This story was updated after publication with additional details.
Edited by Andrew Hayward