Former Coinbase lawyer announces candidacy for New York attorney general over crypto policies

Khurram Dara, a former policy lawyer for cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has officially begun his campaign for New York State Attorney General.

In Friday’s notice, Dara cited “regulatory and policy experience, particularly in the cryptocurrency and fintech space,” as one of the reasons he is seeking to unseat Attorney General Letitia James in 2026.

A former Coinbase lawyer has hinted at a possible candidacy since August, alleging that James engaged in “legal conduct” against the crypto industry in New York.

sauce: Kurram Dara

Until July, Dara was head of regulatory and policy at Bain Capital Crypto, the investment firm’s digital assets arm. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a policy advisor at Coinbase from June 2022 to January 2023 and previously worked at cryptocurrency companies Fluidity and Airswap.

James, who took office in 2019, has faced criticism from many in the crypto industry for filing lawsuits against companies such as Genesis, KuCoin and Novatek on behalf of affected New Yorkers. Whoever assumes the role of New York state attorney general will have significant discretion over whether to prosecute crypto companies.

Related: New York State Legislature calls for stronger protections in virtual currency bill

Dara, who said he plans to run as a Republican, echoed Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s recent victorious campaign, citing New Yorkers’ concerns about the cost of living and affordability. Cointelegraph reached out to Dara for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Lawyer who represented XRP holders also runs for re-election

As the deadline for candidates for various public offices to declare their candidacies approaches, former Massachusetts Senate candidate John Deaton says he plans to once again unseat a Democrat.

Deaton ran against Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2024, but lost by about 700,000 votes. But on November 10, he announced he would run again as a Republican and seek to unseat Sen. Ed Markey in 2026.

Deaton gained prominence in the crypto industry by representing XRP holders in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s case against Ripple.

Like Dara, Deaton will be running in a race that primarily favors Democrats. The last time Republicans won a Senate seat in Massachusetts was in 2010. Both candidates are expected to face competition in their respective Republican primaries.

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