Former senior Obama advisor guides lobbying and policy strategy of London cryptocurrency firm

Jim Messina, erstwhile President Barack Obama's lawman main of staff, is bringing immoderate hefty lobbying guidance to a London-based cryptocurrency trading level arsenic the manufacture braces for caller regulations successful the U.S. and abroad.

The seasoned governmental operative joined Blockchain.com's committee aboriginal past year, becoming a cardinal advisor connected its authorities relations and argumentation strategy, main concern serviceman Lane Kasselman said successful an interrogation with CNBC.

The crypto manufacture has been ramping up lobbying around the satellite with perchance strict regulations connected the horizon. The Biden medication released its model connected imaginable U.S. crypto regulations earlier this month, including ways that could assistance combat fraud.

Kasselman described Messina arsenic a captious usher to the company's lobbying and wide argumentation efforts. He noted that Messina is not a registered lobbyist, yet often advises their squad connected lobbying strategy.

"You tin accidental that we are astir apt 1 of the astir prolific companies erstwhile it comes to nationalist argumentation engagement related successful crypto globally, surely successful the U.S. and occidental Europe. That's a nonstop effect of Jim and his guidance connected that front," Kasselman said. Messina, who was Obama's lawman main of staff, is present the CEO of the consulting steadfast The Messina Group.

Though Messina is not a registered lobbyist, the Messina Group has provided guidance connected lobbying and different argumentation issues to Uber, Pillpack, Airbnb, Google, Delta Air Lines and Hutchison Whampoa, according to a database of clients connected its website.

Beyond his tenure advising Obama, Messina's steadfast has besides advised almighty authorities officials, including erstwhile UK Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, on with Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto, Argentina's Mauricio Macri, and Italy's Matteo Renzi. Messina tweeted retired pictures of him successful the White House arsenic Obama and erstwhile First Lady Michelle Obama had their authoritative portraits revealed.

Kasselman credits Messina with the institution hiring Ian Mair arsenic Blockchain.com's caput of U.S. argumentation and Giles Swan to tally its European policy. Blockchain.com, which maintains U.S. headquarters successful Miami, was besides among a radical of crypto companies that lobbied elements of the Digital Financial Assets Law, which would tighten oversight of the manufacture successful California wherever galore U.S.-based crypto firms are based. They "offered amendments and feedback" aft the measure was introduced, Kasselman said. He said their "main amendment focus" was the bill's "implementation period."

If signed into instrumentality by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the measure would spell into effect successful 2025 and necessitate companies, specified arsenic digital-asset exchanges, to get licenses done the state's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

Kasselman besides noted that Messina guided them connected however champion to lobby the European Parliament connected its crypto regularisation known arsenic Markets successful Crypto-assets rules.

Kasselman said they won their latest conflict with members of the parliament and their unit arsenic the EU was deciding "whether oregon not it would fundamentally determine to marque non custodial wallets illegal," helium said. These types of integer wallets, which Blockchain.com promotes connected its website, enactment effectively arsenic an ultra unafraid crypto savings account.

"It's halfway to our concern content that we should springiness radical power of their assets and support it from each different imaginable interference. And Jim truly made america deliberation done 'what is that argument, what's going to enactment successful Brussels? What is that those members of parliament are disquieted astir and however bash we code these concerns?'" Kasselman said. "And arsenic a effect of his counsel, having worked with heads of authorities crossed Europe for years, we crafted, I don't privation to telephone it a  run but benignant of an statement that we went successful and met with immoderate of the ministers and won."

Swan, the company's caput of European policy, met with the unit of EU commissioner of fiscal services, Mairead McGuinness, successful May to sermon alleged transportation of funds regulation, according to a disclosure report. McGuiness has been captious of cryptocurrencies, and said integer assets were "one of the newest ways to launder money" successful a tweet past year.