Crypto’s power evolution: Lobbying, access, and the future of policy

Crypto’s growing presence in Washington is entering a new phase. Following a high-profile presidential pardon and a surge in political spending across the digital asset sector, questions are emerging about how influence, lobbying, and access are shaping the policy environment for Web3. With major industry players building substantial political war chests and even stablecoin issuers signaling plans to participate directly in U.S. elections, crypto’s role in the political arena is shifting fast.

In this episode of Byte-Sized Insight, we speak with Brendan Glavin, Director of Insights at OpenSecrets, to break down the rapid rise of crypto lobbying, what recent developments tell us about the industry's strategy in Washington, and what increased political engagement could mean for regulation, market dynamics, and the future of decentralization in the United States.

(01:48) Background: Timeline of the pardon, legal context, industry response
(03:36) Political backlash: Maxine Waters & Elizabeth Warren respond
(04:03) NYT report clip: Binance, Trump ties & World Liberty Financial financing
(04:49) White House response: Karoline Leavitt on prosecution & crypto climate
(05:42) Context: Trump’s pro-crypto platform and regulatory shift
(06:28) Guest introduction: Brendan Glavin of OpenSecrets
(08:18) Why crypto began lobbying in Washington
(10:16) Binance-linked lobbying for executive relief & Trump ties
(11:16) Power concentration concerns: who gets access in crypto politics?
(13:54) Risks to small builders, decentralization, policy fairness

This episode was hosted and produced by Savannah Fortis, @savannah_fortis.

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