U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis has yet to address public concerns about whether her Bitcoin maximalist son-in-law, Will Cole, might influence her views on crypto policy.
These concerns arose after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse criticized Senator Lummis on X for canceling a meeting. According to Garlinghouse, the Senator has refused to reschedule the meeting.
“As a leader in Congress and a Senator from a pro-crypto state, Wyoming, I hope you will reconsider and be a leader for ALL of crypto,” Garlinghouse remarked in the statement issued on May 19.
Stakeholders Concerned About Lummis’ Ties to Bitcoin Maxi Son-in-Law
Not surprisingly, this abrupt cancellation has sparked significant concern among crypto stakeholders. According to some industry stakeholders, her decision to snub Ripple’s CEO indicates that Lummis may be less receptive to crypto networks beyond Bitcoin.
Lummis’s ties to her son-in-law, Will Cole, a major Bitcoin maximalist who convinced her to buy Bitcoin in 2013, reinforce this fear.
Cowboy Crypto, a pseudonymous crypto investigator, alleged that Cole might be influencing Lummis’ legislative agenda in favor of Bitcoin.
Cole has been an advocate for Bitcoin since its early days. He has publicly backed the premier cryptocurrency and supported criticisms of other projects, including XRP. According to Cowboy Crypto, Cole is enthusiastic about Bitcoin and hates Ripple’s success.
Notably, he runs a small Bitcoin-only payments company called Zaprite. Although the company has existed since 2017 and has received venture capital funding, its growth has been modest, with only two employees, according to data from PitchBook.
Nonetheless, Cole has remained a strong Bitcoin maxi and has publicly advocated for the asset at the expense of others..
