A prominent D.C. crypto advocate and one-time Republican House candidate in New York is launching a think tank focused on crypto policy.
Michelle Bond, who lost a Republican primary to Rep. Nick LaLota (N.Y.) in 2022, will lead Digital Future. The think tank will focus on “promoting the development of the next generation of the financial services industry,” per a news release.
Prior to this launch, Bond led a crypto advocacy organization called the Association for Digital Asset Markets.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Bond’s 2022 campaign was reportedly investigated by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for alleged campaign finance violations connected to Ryan Salame, a former FTX executive who was sentenced to about 7 years in prison back in May.
Bond said she looked forward to helping the crypto and AI sectors acquire “a favorable regulatory regime,” per the news release, and dinged Congress for not passing laws to that effect. “Lawmakers have yet to pass significant and impactful legislation on crypto and AI,” Bond said.
The House passed an industry-backed bill to significantly restructure security and commodities regulations in May with significant bipartisan support.
Here’s a fun fact: LaLota was one of just three Republicans to vote against the FIT for the 21st Century Act.
