The Biden-Harris Administration did not want us there and refused to attend the event if we were present. While this is totally their choice, it perfectly captures this Administration's unwillingness to sincerely engage with our industry beyond paying lip service. If you are truly looking to engage with our industry — after waging war on it for the past 4 years — and understand its points of view in earnest, then certainly you would want to hear from and welcome the most vocal and critical voices, the people who have been most negatively impacted by your policies, even if their minds are made up. That is how you get real signal and perspective for self-reflection.

Disinviting your critics from a round table discussion because they support an opposing candidate (who by the way promised in no uncertain terms to end your war on crypto) is exactly the kind of behavior that makes crypto partisan.

Not only is this behavior petty, it's fake engagement that only serves to create a meaningless echo chamber. But it also begs a deeper question.

Who exactly from the White House disinvited us from this round table?

President Biden?

Doubtful. He didn't even show up.

Was he even aware that this round table was being convened and happening?

Again, doubtful given all that we now know and have seen.

So, who exactly is in charge here?

Is it the same people who one week say that President Biden is "sharp as a tack" and the next week sideline him? Who are these people and how can we look them in the eye and get assurances that the next 4 years will be different? I'd love to know.

The Biden-Harris Administration had an opportunity to try and reset the relationship with the crypto industry this week. In direct contrast to how we all have been stonewalled and disinvited the last 4 years, and despite an infinite number of reasons not to, the The Bitcoin Conference graciously and magnanimously extended an invitation to Kamala Harris to speak to and engage with our industry in Nashville this weekend. That's an olive branch of real engagement. Harris declined.