Cheyenne Ligon
Cheyenne Ligon is a CoinDesk news reporter with a focus on crypto regulation and policy. She has no significant crypto holdings.
Michelle Bond, the CEO of crypto trade organization the Association for Digital Asset Markets (ADAM) is running for U.S. Congress.
A Suffolk County native, Bond is running for election in the Republican primary in New York’s first congressional district, which includes eastern Long Island. The district is currently represented by Republican Lee Zeldin, who will leave his seat vacant to run for New York governor.
Though Bond has spent years in the crypto industry, she’s not running a crypto-centric campaign, unlike several other political candidates who have emerged from the industry, including longtime bitcoiner Bruce Fenton, who is running for the Republican nomination for New Hampshire’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
Instead, Bond – who describes herself as an “America First conservative” – says she’s more concerned about gas prices and the country’s economic growth. In a campaign announcement provided to CoinDesk, Bond describes herself as “pro-life, pro Trump’s border wall…[and] she believes the police need to be defended, not defunded.”
Bond sees crypto as a part of the bigger picture of financial innovation.
“I’m obviously pro-innovation and I think [crypto’s] important for a lot of different reasons – for jobs, and opportunities and economic advancement,” Bond said. “My job in Congress will be to represent Suffolk County…I think the focus really needs to be on not just the broader topics but everything that’s affecting the day-in, day-out life of the residents of Suffolk County.”
“My experience from fintech and crypto and financial services and even my time on the Senate Banking Committee will inform my decisions but, really, my first and only loyalty is to representing my people at home,” Bond added.
If Bond wins the election, she will step down from her role as CEO at ADAM.
“I love ADAM, it’s been awesome building the association, growing it … I have every intention of staying [on as CEO] if I were not to win, but I’m going to win,” Bond said.
Prior to her role at the trade group, Bond was the head of government relations at Ripple.
