The crypto community has poured out its support towards crypto-leaning United States Senator Cynthia Lummis after she revealed her decision not to seek reelection in 2026. Lummis has been a pivotal advocate for digital assets, playing an important role in US crypto policy discussions over the past few years.
According to a previous Cryptopolitan report, Lummis announced that she was walking away from Washington after just one term, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of the crypto community and the general crypto-facing public. In the statement released by her office on Friday, Lummis noted that she would retire when her term expires in 2027, highlighting that the choice came as a result of a heavy workload, while noting that she no longer has the energy to match those levels anymore.
Crypto community rallies in support of Senator Cynthia Lummis
The entire crypto community has showered encomiums on the outgoing Senator, with popular and influential personalities in the industry urging the community to support her decision. Collin McCune, Venture capital firm a16z head of government affairs, mentioned in a post that the US Senator created space for innovators and builders with her leadership, and crypto would not be where it is today without her fighting for the industry in Congress.
Echoing the same sentiment, Greg Xethalis, a general partner with crypto investment firm Multicoin, noted that the Senator has been a tremendous leader in the Senate, highlighting her fight across all sectors, including the crypto industry. “Her priorities have advanced so far because sometimes it takes a cattle rancher like Sen Lummis to drive good policy,” he added. Matthew Sigel, the head of digital assets research at VanEck, also had some parting words for the Senator.
Lummis was a vocal critic of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s regulation. The regulation was described as a regulation-by-enforcement approach to crypto during the Joe Biden administration. She was also a major advocate for the proposals of the Responsible Financial Innovation Act and the ongoing United States Clarity Act, which are both aimed at providing greater regulatory clarity for digital assets in the country.
Encomiums pour in from the crypto community on X
In the announcement, which she released on Friday on X, Senator Cynthia Lummis mentioned that she does not have six more years in her. In the post, which has amassed about a million views on X, she highlighted how much she loved being a legislator, but noted that her current energy levels do not match up, as she feels she has now become more of a sprinter in a marathon.
Support also poured from the White House, as White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks described the Senator as a great ally on crypto. He added that he was very sorry to see her go. Bitcoin advocate and Coin Stories host Natalie Brunell also paid tribute to the Senator, thanking her for her service and for helping move the Bitcoin cause forward. “Wishing you a wonderful next chapter,” Brunnell added.
Despite Lummis announcing her decision to step down, industry participants are still fixated on policy efforts, noting that they are far from over. Kyle Samani, managing partner at Multicoin, highlighted that the job is not done, noting that there is still a regulation to pass in 2026. Lummis’ announcement also came a day after Sacks hinted that the US Congress could move as early as January on the highly anticipated US Clarity Act.
“We are closer than ever to passing the landmark crypto market structure legislation that President Trump has called for,” Sacks said in a post on Thursday. With Lummis leaving her seat open, it remains to be seen who takes over from the crypto ally. Meanwhile, Wyoming republicans are already lining up. The state leans deep in red, and it is expected that whoever wins the GOP primary will almost certainly win the general.
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