"Vote Juice" (grape-flavored soda water) was served last night at the Black Cat. Photo: Brady Dale/Axios
Last night in D.C., crypto's get-out-the-vote effort, Stand With Crypto, wrapped its five-state tour at the Black Cat.
Why it matters: The campaign created enough buzz with its events to generate contact with tens of thousands of voters through its website, where voters can check their registration, register and look up how crypto-friendly various politicians have been.
"We're taking the voices we've been hearing in the swing states (Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) and bringing it to D.C.," Stand With Crypto executive director Logan Dobson tells Axios.
In the room: It was a full place. There was a long line to get in, a long line for the buffet of what looked like fried chicken and other offerings, a bag of Stand With Crypto swag (one attendee showed us his camo hat) and drinks.
One attendee was Wayne Chang of SpruceID. He said he's in the space to deal with decentralized data (as opposed to money).
He said he worries that if governments crack down, for example, on wallets — what individuals use to self-custody their assets — it could also slow down other applications of blockchain, such as controlling your data, or limiting how your personal information is used.
Zoom out: Heavily backed by Coinbase, the country's largest crypto exchange, Stand With Crypto has eschewed endorsements, particularly in the presidential race, but they've chosen to hit the most important places in that race.
Dobson said that they weren't trying to tell people who to vote for, though, but to "maximize the voices of the crypto voter" in the places where votes matter the most.
What's next: Dobson is looking to local chapters around the country to do grassroots events large and small from now until the election.
