Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss has called on the United States government to inform the cryptocurrency industry about the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before the upcoming election. In a July 26 X post, Winklevoss argued that the industry should not “tolerate any possibility of a repeat of the last 4 years.”
Call for Transparency and Bipartisanship
Winklevoss emphasized the need for transparency regarding the SEC’s future leadership. “We should demand to know, among other things, who the next chair of the SEC is before we head to the ballot box,” he stated. He also revealed that he and his brother Cameron Winklevoss, another Gemini co-founder, were recently uninvited from a White House event after endorsing Donald Trump. This, he believes, reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s stance on the crypto industry.
Winklevoss criticized the administration, claiming, “The Biden-Harris Administration had an opportunity to try and reset the relationship with the crypto industry this week.” He urged the industry to push for clarity and bipartisanship: “This is table stakes, and this is how you make crypto bipartisan. No more guessing. No more hoping. No more surprises.”
Controversial Tenure of Gary Gensler
Gary Gensler, the current chair of the SEC since February 2021, has been a contentious figure in the crypto industry due to several anti-crypto statements and decisions. His five-year term is set to end in June 2026. Winklevoss’s call for clarity aims to avoid a repeat of perceived regulatory challenges under Gensler’s leadership.
Crypto and Mainstream Acceptance
Winklevoss also expressed hope that politicians would stop attending Bitcoin and crypto conferences, suggesting that crypto should become so mainstream that it no longer needs debate. “Like going to a conference on whether or not email or the Internet should be legal or allowed,” he stated.
The post coincided with the second day of the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, where independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Bitcoin’s potential to improve the US economy. He promised to sign several executive orders on his first day in office to promote cryptocurrency.
Senator Cynthia Lummis and Senator Tim Scott also delivered presentations at the conference. Former US president Donald Trump is scheduled to headline the event on July 27.
