WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined the Blockchain Association’s inaugural Summit Series program. In a conversation with Blockchain Association Board President Marta Belcher, Senator Gallego spoke on the future of the cryptocurrency industry and the importance of balancing innovation with strong consumer protections.
On What Sparked his Interest in Crypto
“What got me interested in crypto was the fact that other people were interested in crypto. My old congressional district is largely working class, Hispanic, also the largest African American community in Arizona. And the fact that there were young Black men and Latino men that were talking about crypto, interested in crypto […] As a legislator, I think that’s your job, right? If your constituents are showing interest in this, then you should show interest in it too.”
On Ensuring the U.S. Remains a Leader in Innovation
“We can really be the main driver in the world on it […] and also set the rules of the road that the rest of the world could actually abide by. Why wouldn’t we want a first-mover competitive advantage in the United States? Bring that money, bring that brain power, bring that business here and dominate it for the next century—like we did with the financial markets.”
On the Need for Regulations
“So, we can actually give some clarity to the industry, so they know how to invest, where to invest, they know the rules of the road, they know what the parameters are of what is legal versus not legal. And for the consumers actually to know what are the recourses should things go wrong.”
6/6/25