- Tim Walz is the governor of Minnesota
- Walz’s stance on crypto is not clear
- Walz is a former congressman
The vice president of the United States and Democrats presidential candidate for the 2024 US presidential election, Kamala Harris, has unveiled her running mate. According to multiple reports, Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Walz is in his second term as governor of Minnesota after spending more than a decade in Congress.
Shortly after the news broke, Walz took to X to announce that he was “all in”.
“It is the honour of a lifetime to join Hamala Harris in this campaign. I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us,” he posted.
US Senator Amy Klobuchar described, via AP, Walz as someone who is “just unendingly optimistic and joyous, and that is very, very important right now in our politics,” the senator who served with Walz in Congress said.
“I always think of him in his plaid shirt because he was always making the point it’s ‘One Minnesota,’” said Klobuchar, a Democrat. “And I think that’s a point you’re going hear him talk about with our nation.”
Former president Barack Obama has also taken to X to support Harris’ choice.
“When a presidential candidate chooses a running mate, it says a lot about who they are and what kind of president they'll be. Do they pick someone inexperienced and polarizing who will deepen our divisions? Or do they pick someone with the judgment to make tough decisions and the character to believe that every voice counts and everyone deserves an equal chance?
By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner - and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” he said in a statement posted on X.
“Governor Walz doesn't just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud. As governor, Tim helped families and businesses recover from the pandemic, established paid family leave, guaranteed the right to an abortion, and put common sense gun safety measures in place to keep communities safe. But Tim's signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect - not all that surprising considering the fact that he served in the National Guard for 24 years and worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach before being elected to Congress.”
What does Harris’ choice of Walz mean for the crypto industry?
Before Walz was chosen, there were speculations that Harris would consider someone with a pro-crypto stance and try to battle a section of the crypto industry's support from Donald Trump.
Given that Walz is renowned for taking a stricter, more regulatory-focused stance toward the cryptocurrency industry, Harris's choice of running mate could have a significant impact on the sector. Despite speculations about his stance, he has not made a public statement about it.
But vice president Harris's position on the cryptocurrency space is also a wild card that might draw further regulatory attention, according to Bitfinex analysts quoted by Cointelegraph.
“Harris’s stance on cryptocurrency isn’t well-documented, making it difficult to predict with certainty. However, Harris’s political positions suggest a focus on consumer protection and financial regulation, which might imply continued scrutiny of the crypto market.”
Bitcoin sinks below $50k, Ethereum declines below $2,200 as crypto market sees worst crash in months
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the global cryptocurrency market is witnessing its worst dip since February 2024 as major coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, experience massive declines.
Earlier today (August 5, 2024, at about 7:20am a.m. WAT), Bitcoin crashed to a six months low of $49,513, with a 24-hour trading volume of $61.5 billion. On the other hand, Ethereum crashed to a 2024-low of $2,171 at about the same time, with a trading volume of $45.7 billion, according to Coinmarketcap data.
