Biden administration brings back past crypto adviser Carole House
House said she is “honored to have been called to return to service of absolutely critical mission sets that are necessary to shape the future of secure and trustworthy digital economies.”
House will serve as Special Advisor for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Policy at the White House National Security Council (NSC).
She served as the NSC’s Director of Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation from April 2021 to June 2022. She has also held positions at the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), CFTC, the Treasury, and various companies and organizations outside the government.
Adviser endorses crypto and regulations
House has repeatedly expressed mixed sentiments about crypto. In a June 4 interview with Consensus 2024, House asserted that legal and illegal applications of crypto grow in tandem, stating:
“Good, licit use growth will also present vulnerabilities and opportunities for those illicit actors that often are distributed, transnational, criminal networks and syndicates.”
She said the US is “the most compliant sector [of any] jurisdiction on anti-money laundering” and observed growth in compliance but described a need to address vulnerabilities.
In March 2023, she said the US should keep crypto innovation within its borders for enforcement and supervision reasons. The same month, she said the White House took a “balanced approach” during her time in the government despite concerns over regulators suppressing crypto in the banking system.
She is also a co-author of the Biden Executive Order related to crypto. Some have objected to some of her views. House testified in February that Bitcoin miners should enforce sanctions at the network layer, including against groups such as the North Korea-backed Lazarus Group.
Voltage board member Bobby Shell IV opposed her stance today, stating that such policy “isn’t good for our nation or strategy.”
News of House’s hiring comes alongside other developments around crypto in the Biden administration. Recent reports suggest the administration aims to develop outreach efforts with the help of the crypto sector and may soon accept crypto donations.
