In this episode of The Get Down: Beyond Bitcoin podcast, host Cleve Mesidor sits down with Kevin Harris, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement at Crypto.com.

With a storied career spanning the Obama administration, the Congressional Black Caucus, and serving as a deputy Mayor, Kevin shares how his background in policy, campaigns, and urban affairs shapes his approach to digital asset advocacy across North America. The conversation explores the importance of bipartisanship, the pursuit of regulatory clarity, and why equitable inclusion must be at the center of the Web3 revolution.

Interview with Kevin Harris, Senior Director at Crypto.com

• Politics and Journalism: How Kevin’s journalism roots at Howard University and a pivotal internship with then-Senator Hillary Clinton redirected his career from observing politics to stepping into the political arena.
• The Washington to Crypto Journey: Transitioning from high-profile political roles (including the Obama administration and the Congressional Black Caucus) into Web3, driven by a desire for continuous learning and a mission to ensure underrepresented voices have a seat at the table.
• An Anchor of Equity and Inclusion: Why the digital assets space must learn from the mistakes of the traditional digital divide to prevent a new "digital assets divide" from taking hold.
• The Bipartisan Hunt for Market Structure: An inside look at how industry executives engage with Capitol Hill and key regulatory bodies to negotiate compromises on market structure legislation (like the Clarity Act) that protect consumers while boosting U.S. competitiveness.
• Engagement Outside of Washington: Why stakeholder outreach must happen outside of the Capitol, highlighting the upcoming August Policy House on Martha's Vineyard in partnership with the Blockchain Foundation.
• Demystifying Digital Assets as FinTech Evolution: Framing blockchain as the latest iteration in financial technology—similar to the evolution from physical cash to debit cards and Apple Pay—designed to bring efficiency, optimization, and equity to financial services.
• Playing One-on-One with Michael Jordan: The ultimate "fun fact" about Kevin playing a game to three against Michael Jordan at a youth camp—and winning under Jordan's own rules.

About Kevin Harris

Kevin Harris is a Birmingham, Alabama native who supports government affairs and stakeholder engagement across North America for Crypto.com. Prior to joining Crypto.com, he held a variety of policy and communications roles in the Obama Administration. His work supported the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, White House Office of Urban Affairs, Office of the United States Trade Representative, Office of the First Lady and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.   

Kevin served as a cabinet member advising two major U.S. city mayors on policy, politics and strategy. He has also served as a senior policy advisor to a state attorney, county tax collector, member of Congress as well as Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

An award-winning political strategist, Kevin has advised more than 100 political campaigns and ballot initiatives nationwide. He is also an entrepreneur and a published political commentator whose analysis of politics, government, and public policy has appeared in various media outlets and publications.

Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University and a Master of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins University. He has also served as a board director helping to guide the work of organizations committed to conservation, criminal justice reform, HBCU scholarships and community development.

Links from the Episode

CONNECT WITH CRYPTO.COM:

• Website: crypto.com
• X (formerly Twitter): @cryptocom
• LinkedIn: Crypto.com on LinkedIn
• Educational Resources: Crypto.com/university

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