Former Clinton aide, OpenAI executive Chris Lehane joins Coinbase’s board

Chris Lehane, a former aide for former President Clinton and OpenAI executive team member, is joining Coinbase, as the cryptocurrency company seeks to bolster its bipartisan credentials.

The American political consultant and cryptocurrency exec said he was excited to join the company’s board in a release on Coinbase’s website.

“I am excited to support Coinbase as they continue to advocate for the 52 million Americans who own crypto (over-indexing on young people of color) and work to democratize the benefits of capitalism so more people can keep their fair share of the economic pie,” Lehane said in a statement.

Lehane and two others joined the seven-member board at Coinbase. The company said in its memo that it’s currently at a “unique moment in American history” where nine in 10 Americans from both political parties believe the financial system “needs an update.”

The new board members come at a time when the company looks to rebrand as bipartisan amid differing crypto opinions among Republicans and Democrats.

In an interview with Politico, Lehane said his board seat came from years of conversations with the company’s leadership about how to build trust in crypto. He said most crypto holders identify as Democrats, including young people who voted for President Biden.

Lehane told the outlet that there is growing support from lawmakers in both parties to work on regulations. He said, “there are Democratic senators working with Republican colleagues on legislation in the Senate — there’s real hard work going on.”

“And it’s pretty cool to see, particularly in a time period of polarization. I think it’s one of the unique aspects of this space: You can be an economic freedom person, maybe more libertarian or you can be me, an economic opportunity person,” he added. “And you can see within digital assets how it can support a different type of financial system.”

The company itself noted the increased attention from politicians on both sides of the aisle as Americans call for them to “update the system” and find how “crypto can be a tool to help.”

“More than one million Americans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – have raised their hands to Stand with Crypto in this election, and are making their voices heard with their representatives across the aisle,” Coinbase said.