Prospective Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has selected Senator JD Vance as his running mate for the 2024 election.
In a July 15 announcement on Truth Social, Trump revealed that the Ohio senator would join his ticket as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Vance, recognized as a "strong" cryptocurrency supporter by Coinbase’s Stand With Crypto initiative, has shown support through positive social media posts and pro-crypto legislative votes.
In a 2022 financial disclosure report, Vance reported holding between $100,001 and $250,000 in Bitcoin via the crypto exchange Coinbase. He also voted to overturn a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that required banks to report crypto as a liability, a measure vetoed by President Joe Biden.
Vance, author of the book "Hillbilly Elegy," entered politics less than two years ago, winning an Ohio Senate seat in 2022. Trump endorsed Vance in the 2022 midterm elections, and Vance has endorsed Trump for the 2024 Republican primaries. However, Vance previously criticized Trump, calling him "unfit" for the presidency and criticizing those who voted for him.
Vance's addition to a potential Republican ticket comes as crypto and blockchain become key campaign issues in 2024. Trump announced that his campaign would accept crypto contributions and pushed the Republican Party to support BTC miners and oppose central bank digital currencies in its platform.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, expected to be the Democratic nominee, is reportedly considering accepting campaign contributions in crypto. On July 10, a senior Biden adviser attended a roundtable with crypto industry advocates in a personal capacity.
