Early Returns Podcast - How Crypto Champion, Faryar Shirzad, and Coinbase Are Advocating for America's Digital Future
Early Returns Law & Politics Podcast with Jan Baran
Host Jan Baran sits down with Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad for an educational and illuminating deep dive into cryptocurrency's intersection with law and politics. Faryar, whose journey from Iranian diplomat's son to White House advisor to Goldman Sachs executive led him to crypto's frontier, breaks down the complex technology in refreshingly accessible terms. He explains how the recently passed Genius Act creates the framework for dollar-backed "stablecoins" - essentially digital dollars that can transfer peer-to-peer without traditional banking intermediaries - and why this represents the next evolution of the internet's promise to eliminate middlemen.
The conversation reveals crypto's surprising political transformation from niche technology to major electoral force. Faryar details how Coinbase helped build the largest political operation any industry has ever assembled, mobilizing 2.4 million advocates through “Stand with Crypto” and strategic Super PAC spending to combat what he describes as the prior administration's "disgraceful" targeting of crypto users. With 60% of crypto advocates being Democrats but 54% voting for Trump in 2024, the crypto voter bloc has emerged as a genuinely bipartisan political force that could reshape future elections - making this episode essential listening for anyone trying to understand where money, technology, and politics intersect in modern America.
