• The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Sam Bankman-Fried’s meetings at the White House were focused on pandemic prevention-related matters, as well as cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges.
• She also noted that the administration has been clear about the need for Congress to take action when it comes to addressing cryptocurrency.
• The meetings may have concerned the FTX Future Fund, which donated $1.5 million to Stanford University for pandemic prevention, or the non-profit organization Guarding Against Pandemics.

The White House recently held meetings with Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, to discuss pandemic prevention and cryptocurrency. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said that the meetings were focused on pandemic prevention-related matters as well as cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges.

Jean-Pierre did not specify which foundation was discussed at the meetings, but it’s possible that it was the FTX Future Fund, which donated $1.5 million to Stanford University for pandemic prevention. Additionally, Gabriel Bankman-Fried, Sam Bankman-Fried’s brother, may have been present at some of the meetings. Gabriel Bankman-Fried once ran a non-profit organization called Guarding Against Pandemics.

Jean-Pierre mentioned that the Biden administration has been clear about the need for Congress to take action when it comes to addressing cryptocurrency. She said, „The administration has been clear about the need for Congress to take action…when we talk about addressing cryptocurrency.“

The White House meetings may have been beneficial for the cryptocurrency industry as a whole, as it indicates the Biden administration is open to discussing the topic. While the meetings were focused on pandemic prevention, the fact that cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges were also discussed is encouraging for the industry. It remains to be seen what action Congress may take in the future, but for now, it’s clear that the Biden administration is open to engaging with the cryptocurrency industry.