News
US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase adds three members to its board, including an OpenAI executive
By Stephanie Kelly
NASHVILLE (Reuters) – U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has added three new members to its board, including an executive from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, as the company steps up its efforts to influence U.S. cryptocurrency policy, Coinbase told Reuters on Thursday.
The new members are Chris Lehane, a member of OpenAI’s leadership team; Paul Clement, a former U.S. Solicitor General under President George W. Bush; and Christa Davies, Aon’s CFO and a board member of Stripe and Workday. These additions will bring the board’s membership from seven to 10.
Coinbase’s decision to expand its board comes as the company and the broader cryptocurrency industry aim to make the industry a major political force in this year’s presidential election. The sector’s fortunes could change if Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump wins the White House in November.
Clement will advise Coinbase on its efforts to “push back against SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) overreach and fight for clear rules for digital assets.”
Lehane, a former Airbnb policy chief who was also a fellow in the Clinton White House, will provide strategic advice, Coinbase said.
Davies will focus on “the financial and operational excellence of Coinbase globally.”
Coinbase said the three members all have different political philosophies.
“For crypto to be successful, it has to be bipartisan,” Lehane told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.
Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed advocacy organization for crypto-owning voters, has amassed 1.3 million members.
Meanwhile, three major pro-crypto political action committees — Fairshake, Defend American Jobs, and Protect Progress, which didn’t exist before this cycle — have raised more than $230 million to support friendly candidates.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in Nashville; Editing by Michelle Price and Chizu Nomiyama)