Uniswap UNI/USD CEO Hayden Adams has expressed optimism over U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris‘ comments supporting digital assets, highlighting the growing recognition of decentralized finance (DeFi) by political leaders.

What Happened: However, Adams' positive reception of Harris' remarks was met with skepticism and criticism from industry insiders, who raised concerns over regulatory threats and Uniswap's governance structure.

At a New York fundraiser over the weekend, Harris expressed support for digital assets and made her first public mention of the crypto industry, calling AI and digital assets “innovative technologies.”

Adams interpreted Harris' remarks as a step towards greater mainstream acceptance of digital assets and expressed optimism about the future of DeFi.

But his optimism was quickly met with a wave of criticism from several influential voices in the crypto community.

Twitter user Eric Conner was among the first to question Adams’ stance, pointing to the ongoing legal pressure Uniswap faces from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Conner's tweet apparently referenced Uniswap’s ongoing lawsuit with the SEC and cautioned that regulatory endorsement doesn’t necessarily translate into favorable outcomes for decentralized projects.

Former CEO of Messari Ryan Selkis further criticized Uniswap's governance and Adams’ willingness to see Harris' comments as a positive step, warning that Uniswap could not be trusted

He further said Adams was the only crypto figure vouching for the Democrats and that it was akin to him wanting Trump to lose.

Alex Thorn, Head of Research at Galaxy echoed these concerns, saying that Harris’s recent comments were in no way any different from Biden’s stand on cryptocurrencies.

Despite the backlash, Adams remained undeterred. In response to his critics, he reaffirmed his belief that political acknowledgment of digital assets, even from figures like Harris, is a step in the right direction.

“Agree Biden has been terrible for crypto and tech. She is signaling her admin will approach it differently / be more pro innovation, Fine if you don't believe it,” he said.

“Yes Biden has been bad for crypto and actions will speak louder than words. But progress is progress, it needs to start somewhere, and should be encouraged. A positive statement on the tech is more than we got under Biden and Trump presidency,” he added.

"There will always be challenges, but having crypto on the political agenda means we’re being taken seriously," Adams stated in his defense, adding that DeFi must continue to push for legitimacy within regulatory frameworks while staying true to its decentralized roots.

What’s Next: This tension between optimism and skepticism will likely be a major talking point at Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19, where industry leaders, regulators, and innovators will discuss the future of digital assets and decentralized platforms.

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