Last week's Consensus crypto conference in Austin was billed to be a triumphant celebration of the budding bull market, but it really felt like an extended campaign rally gloating over the blockchain industry's recent wins in D.C. At the annual CoinCenter dinner, the libertarian-minded think tank invited House Majority Whip and crypto crusader Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) to give a toast. "Gary Gensler sucks," he roared upon taking the stage, to uproarious applause. (He later joked that he strayed from his handlers' prepared remarks.)
So is crypto winning? It's been hard not to feel that way the past few weeks, buoyed by legislative victories, the ETH ETF approval, an additional $75 million of corporate donations to a blockchain-focused super PAC, and a surprising backlash to President Joe Biden's decision to veto a Congressional F-U to a wonky SEC bulletin. Ever the subtle wordsmith, Messari CEO and newfound Trump cheerleader Ryan Selkis declared on Twitter that the industry was officially at "war" against the Democratic party.
