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Jim Messina – one of Barack Obama’s closest advisers during his presidency reign in the USA – has taken an executive role at the popular cryptocurrency platform – BlockhainCom. The veteran politician is responsible for the firm’s government relations and policy strategy.
Another American official who transitioned to the world of crypto is Brian Brooks. The former Acting Comptroller of the Currency in the US is currently the CEO of the bitcoin mining firm Bitfury Group.
Pivoting Toward Crypto
In a recent interview for CNBC, BlockchainCom’s CEO – Lane Kasselman – disclosed that Jim Messina joined the company in 2021. He serves as a key adviser on the firm’s government relations as it plans to strengthen its presence in Europe and expand globally.
Kasselman described Messina as an important figure in the organization who often advises the team on lobbying strategy. The CEO noted that much of BlockchainCom’s success in Europe and the US is thanks to his efforts:
“You can say that we are probably one of the most prolific companies when it comes to public policy engagement related to crypto globally, certainly in the US and western Europe. That’s a direct result of Jim and his guidance on that front.”
Kasselman further revealed that his company had some issues with members of the European Parliament since they were considering making non-custodial wallets illegal. After lengthy negotiations, Messina managed to change their mind:
“It’s core to our business belief that we should give people control of their assets and protect it from all other potential interference. And Jim really made us think through “what is that argument, what’s going to work in Brussels?”
And as a result of his counsel, having worked with heads of state across Europe for years, we crafted, I don’t want to call it a campaign but sort of an argument that we went in and met with some of the Ministers and won.”
Named “The Obama White House’s Fixer” by the media, Messina has advised numerous prominent politicians throughout his career. Some include former UK Prime Ministers Theresa May, Italy’s previous PM Matteo Renzi, and ex-Argentinean President Mauricio Macri.
Brian Brooks’ Entry Into the World of Crypto
Last year, the American lawyer Brian Brooks, who served as Acting Comptroller of the Currency in the US between May 2020 and January 2021, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Binance US. However, his reign there lasted only several months, and in November 2021, he moved to become Bitfury’s new top executive.
Not long ago, he praised bitcoin’s underlying network. He also predicted that digital asset adoption will soar in the years to come, which could positively affect BTC’s price.
Last month, he argued that the Fed’s approach to inflation is one reason why the crypto market can not recover its previous condition:
“We have talked about the idea that bitcoin is an inflation hedge. The more the market expects tough policy from the Fed, the more people think the Fed is going to keep an aggressive posture, and that would tend to harm Bitcoin.”