crypto policy

On September 8th, 2022 Coinbase announced it was funding and supporting a lawsuit brought by six individuals (including two Coinbase employees) challenging the Treasury Department’s novel sanctions of open source software associated with Tornado Cash. The plaintiffs we are supporting represent a cross section of crypto users and developers who used TC to protect their privacy and security for legitimate reasons—from wanting to safely donate to Ukraine to concealing salary deposits that would show how much they earn. Meet four of them, and hear why they got involved, and what they hope to accomplish through this challenge in this episode of Around the Block.Today's conversation was recorded on September 16th. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Actual results may vary materially from any forward-looking statements made and are subject to risks and uncertainties.Check our homepage for more episodes and exclusive content from Around the Block: https://coinbase.com/aroundtheblock

Earlier this month, developers behind Helium proposed to migrate the network off of its own blockchain onto Solana. In this episode of Around the Block, Founder and CEO of Helium, Amir Haleem, shares the vision behind Helium, the key moments and decisions that shaped the network, and why the move to Solana could be the project’s best bet.

Today's conversation was recorded on September 7th. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Actual results may vary materially from any forward-looking statements made and are subject to risks and uncertainties.Check our homepage for more episodes and exclusive content from Around the Block: https://coinbase.com/aroundtheblock

The U.S. government’s action against Tornado Cash sent shock waves through the crypto community and left most of us with more questions than answers. In this episode of Around the Block, Host Viktor Bunin, Coinbase’s Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation Sheila Warren and Head of Policy for the Blockchain Association, Jake Chervinsky, discuss Tornado Cash: what happened, who it impacts, and how we can think about working with policymakers as they try to learn and understand this new technology. 

Today's conversation was recorded on August 30th. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Actual results may vary materially from any forward-looking statements made and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Check our homepage for more episodes and exclusive content from Around the Block: https://coinbase.com/aroundtheblock

Aaron Klein is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, focused on financial technology and regulation; payments; macroeconomics; and infrastructure finance and policy. Prior to joining Brookings in 2016, he directed the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative.

Between 2009 and 2012, Klein served as the deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of Treasury. He worked on financial regulatory reform issues including crafting and helping secure passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. He also played leading roles on responding to the economic crisis, housing finance reform, transportation and infrastructure policy, and Native American policy.

Previously, Klein served as chief economist of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee for Chairmen Chris Dodd and Paul Sarbanes. He worked on numerous pieces of major legislation, including the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (aka TARP), Housing and Economic Recovery Act, and the SAFETEA Act of 2005—re-writing America’s surface transportation system.

Klein teaches at the Wharton school of Business and serves as an external economist for the National Homebuyers Fund. 

Klein is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.