The first debate between U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald J. Trump ended late Tuesday with no mention of crypto, $14 million in Polymarket bets, and a near-tie (Trump is up 50-48 momentarily) on the betting site. Candidates faced off in Philadelphia for two hours, and to the dismay of the digital asset industry, which has poured millions into Trump’s campaign, did not mention crypto. Gamblers gave 19% odds that Trump would mention crypto – he topped $25 million in donations after the Bitcoin2024 conference in Nashville in July – while they wagered on a 9% chance his Democrat opponent would. Nearing 10% for Harris to mention crypto is a lofty bet, considering the sitting vice-president is yet to make a public statement regarding cryptocurrencies, and her party’s 2024 manifesto makes no mention of it. However, after two hours peppered with ludicrous claims like Trump saying that immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, crypto was omitted by the two main contenders in the upcoming Nov. 3 election. Is Trump Really The Crypto President? Watching Trump remain silent about cryptocurrency yesterday caused alarm bells to trigger in the crypto industry. He has been vocal about his alleged support for the industry, so much so that he headlined the largest Bitcoin conference in the world at Nashville in July 2024. On stage and in front of a euphoric crowd, he claimed he would fire Gary Gensler, free Ross Ulbricht, and promised never to sell the more than 200,000 BTC in the hands of the U.S. government. Trump has also been busy selling NFTs on his website, from Bitcoin-branded sneakers to his digital trading card NFTs. The brash Republican candidate raked in more than $25 million after his appearance at Bitcoin2024, although that number hasn’t been verified. And his sons Eric and Donald Jr. have recently touted a new DeFi project dubbed World Liberty Finance Is Crypto Political Yet? On the same day as the debate, Congress received members of the crypto industry for a hearing in front of the House Financial Services Committee Lawmakers were caught in a tussle of opinions, with Republicans defending the existence of crypto in the U.S. while Democrats denounced the alleged tax evasion that crypto permits. Subcommittee chair French Hill, R-ARK, said that the goal today was to “explore emerging technologies as we consider how blockchains can be used in finance.” According to Hill, today’s hearing was “not only about smart contracts” but also “how decentralized peer-to-peer technology preserves individual freedom and improves our financial services.” Meanwhile, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Cali, said, “What we have here is an effort to liberate billionaires from income taxation,” and his party ally Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass, who criticized the industry, said he opposed the FIT act, and urged the committee to refrain from moving forward with similar legislation that “would invite the same consumer and investor protection risks by legitimizing this industry.”