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THE CRYPTO EXECUTIVE WHO COULD SOON BE RUNNING THE SEC
Wall Street’s top cop is headed for a clash with the trendy online brokerage firm Robinhood.
The regulator could be picking a fight with its next boss, too.
Robinhood Chief Legal Officer Dan Gallagher is emerging as a leading contender to head the Securities and Exchange Commission should Donald Trump win back the presidency, according to a dozen former top regulators, lobbyists and securities lawyers.
“He’d be a natural choice,” one former senior SEC official told MM.
But Gallagher — a onetime SEC commissioner who is known for his affability and political chops — may find himself sparring with the agency first.
The SEC is weighing a lawsuit over Robinhood’s swelling cryptocurrency business in a case that would mark the latest salvo in Chair Gary Gensler‘s crackdown on the $2 trillion market. The SEC is looking into whether Robinhood is operating an unregistered broker-dealer and clearing agency in the crypto markets. Charges are not guaranteed, but if the agency does sue, the resulting legal battle could thrust a new and awkward spotlight onto Gallagher — just as the race for the chairmanship heats up.
For his part, Gallagher has a message for the SEC: Don’t do it.
“It’s a dog of a case,” he told MM. Robinhood, Gallagher said, offers trading in a fraction of crypto tokens compared to others that have hundreds on their platforms. And the company doesn’t have any crypto lending or staking products, he said.
“We’ve been forgoing revenue for the company by not going hog wild listing coins, and I think that puts us in a very, very unique position,” Gallagher said. “Shooting at the good guys is a really bad policy.”
An SEC spokesperson declined to comment.
Eight years ago, a rotating cast of characters from the financial, corporate and legal worlds swung through Trump Tower as they sought to join the then-incoming president’s administration. Now, as evidenced by Gallagher’s brewing candidacy, the revolving door between government and industry appears primed to start spinning once again if Trump wins.
“This is the name of the game: Get the fox in the henhouse,” said Richard Painter, who served as chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush.
Other names floating around K Street as potential SEC chairs under Trump include former Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Chris Giancarlo, who is known online as “CryptoDad"; former SEC General Counsel Robert Stebbins, now a partner at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and current SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who occupies a Republican seat on the agency’s five-person commission.
Yet Gallagher’s ascendancy to the chair has long been a matter of when, not if, for some Republicans.
“Dan would be great,” Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) told our Jasper Goodman following a House Financial Services Hearing where Gallagher testified last month. “I’ve had a great relationship working with him, even when we disagreed on some stuff.”
“Ultimately, you want someone who’s thoughtful, experienced, and not just ideologically politically driven,” the Michigan Republican said. “That’s been, I think, the problem with Gensler.”
Gallagher as a commissioner blasted the package of rules enacted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. He called for a sweeping review of trading in the U.S. stock market and was early to raise concern about the SEC’s internal courts, which have since been declared unconstitutional in certain cases by the Supreme Court. He was also a regular on Capitol Hill, briefing lawmakers on the wonky area of securities law.
If Trump did pick Gallagher, the Robinhood executive could face a contentious confirmation process. Democrats have long been wary of industry officials taking over federal regulators, and Robinhood has attracted a fair amount of congressional scrutiny over the years. (Remember GameStop — the bizarre market phenomenon of 2021 when Robinhood had to cut investors off from buying more shares in the beleaguered video game retailer’s stock, drawing the ire of lawmakers across Capitol Hill?)
But Gallagher argues that was then. The company has since overhauled its compliance and risk-management programs, he said. And as for any revolving-door concerns, he says having experience both in and out of government is a good thing.
Whether Gallagher would want to leave Robinhood is unclear. He told MM that he loves his job and that it’s “an honor to have my name included in any discussion of who may be the next SEC chairman.”
Make no mistake, though, Gallagher has clear issues with the SEC’s direction. Just ask him about crypto. He told MM that if he had been chair in the last few years, there would be tailored rules on the books already, as the industry has long been seeking, offering “a path forward for at least a baseline registration system” for crypto exchanges and brokers. And even then, Gallagher believes there would still need to be legislation.
“I would have done things differently,” he said. “I’ve known Gary for a long time and have a lot of respect for Gary, but, on this one, I disagree with him.”
@ Newshounds News™
Source: Politico
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NASDAQ PUBLISHED APPLICATION TO BEGIN THE PROCEDURE FOR LISTING AND TRADING SHARES OF HASHDEX NASDAQ CRYPTO INDEX US ETF.
@ Newshounds News™
Source: Crypto World
NASDAQ-2024-028_Order_Instituting_Proceedings
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN WILL DEBATE LAWYER JOHN DEATON TWICE IN OCTOBER
Many crypto proponents suggested the race could be a referendum on digital asset policy in the US Senate, with polls showing Warren leading by at least 20 points.
Massachusetts news outlets are reporting that Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican candidate John Deaton will debate each other twice before the 2024 election, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 17.
According to an Oct. 7 notice from New England Public Media, the outlet and GBH News will host a debate in Springfield between the two senatorial candidates on Oct. 17, moderated by political reporters Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith. Sen. Warren and Deaton will also appear in Boston to debate on Oct. 15 on WSBK-TV.
It’s unclear if digital assets will be a topic between the two candidates at either debate. Cointelegraph contacted GBH News, who said it would not share the topics in advance.
Future of crypto policy in US Senate?
During her time in office, Sen. Warren has been outspoken about her criticism of cryptocurrency, associating digital assets with funding illicit activities. Deaton, a lawyer, has backed Ripple and other crypto firms facing litigation from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several September polls showed Sen. Warren with more than a 20-point lead over Deaton in an election many expect to be a referendum on crypto policy. The Republican candidate claimed on social media that the SEC is “pursuing an anti-crypto agenda” through its enforcement actions and criticized chair Gary Gensler.
Many Democratic lawmakers and candidates have called on members of the party to change their “hostility” toward the crypto industry as presidential candidate Kamala Harris runs against Republican Donald Trump in November. After announcing her candidacy in July, Vice President Harris made her first public statement on digital assets in September, pledging support for the industry.
Commonwealth Unity Fund, a political action committee backed by many crypto proponents, and Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have supported Deaton’s campaign through contributions or media buys.
According to Federal Election Commission records, as of Aug. 14, Deaton had raised roughly $1.8 million in his bid for the US Senate in 2024, with roughly $830,000 in cash on hand. Senator Warren had raised roughly $19 million since January 2019 and had roughly $5.3 million in cash on hand as of Aug. 14. (WARREN REPRESENTS THE BIG BANKS)
@ Newshounds News™
Source: CoinTelegraph
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‘THE SEC IS LIVING IN PAST’: TIM DRAPER SLAMS GARY GENSLER, DISCUSSES RIPPLE CASE
With the recent Ripple appeal, the SEC and its chair Gary Gensler are back in the spotlight as the XRP community voices strong opposition to the agency. This new twist has extended the already delayed case timeline, with some speculating it could now stretch until 2026. American venture capital investor Tim Draper appeared on the Thinking Crypto podcast and discussed SEC’s recent actions and their impact.
Ongoing Challenges for the SEC
Draper noted that Gary Gensler, the SEC chair, has faced losses in court, not just with Ripple but also with the Grayscale lawsuit and others. This raises questions about the SEC’s strategy and effectiveness in regulating the crypto industry.
Predictions for the Future
One of Draper’s key predictions is that eventually, the incumbents currently fighting against cryptocurrency will begin to adopt it. He expressed optimism about the political landscape, mentioning that at least one, if not both, presidential candidates are starting to embrace Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as tools for innovation.
Innovation Beyond Borders
Draper brought to attention a critical issue: many innovative American companies are geofencing their products, meaning they are limiting their operations to outside the U.S. due to the restrictive regulatory environment. He said that while innovation thrives globally, American companies are at a disadvantage because of the SEC’s outdated regulations.
The Need for Change
Draper argued that the SEC is operating under an “80-year-old set of laws,” which are no longer relevant in today’s fast-evolving tech landscape. He stressed that if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge, particularly in Silicon Valley, it must embrace the innovation happening in the cryptocurrency sector.
Political Encouragement
Draper said that both presidential candidates appear to recognize the importance of cryptocurrencies. He noted that Donald Trump has positioned himself as the “crypto president,” even stating he would fire Gary Gensler. Similarly, Kamala Harris seems to share these sentiments, which Draper finds encouraging.
@ Newshounds News™
Source: Coinpedia
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Crypto's Role in the GCR RV | Youtube
@ Newshounds News™
Source: Seeds of Wisdom Team RV Currency Facts
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