US Democratic Party members to hold virtual currency roundtable on October 22nd

Leading US lawmakers are preparing to meet with key crypto industry players this week in a closed-door roundtable that could shape future policy decisions.

Pro-crypto Senate Democrats are scheduled to meet with key crypto executives on October 22 to discuss stalled digital asset legislation and the future of DeFi regulation.

According to an Oct. 20 post on X by American crypto host Eleanor Terret, a roundtable led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will bring together executives from Coinbase, Chainlink, Ripple, Uniswap and others to discuss the future direction after bipartisan negotiations collapsed following backlash over leaked decentralized finance proposals.

Industry leaders join senators for crypto roundtable

The October 22nd meeting marks one of the most important direct engagements between US lawmakers and crypto executives this year. Expected attendees include Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Chainlink’s Sergey Nazarov, Galaxy’s Mike Novogratz, Kraken’s David Ripley, Uniswap’s Hayden Adams, Ripple’s Stuart Alderoty, and Circle’s Dante Disparte.

The discussion will focus on digital asset market structure and DeFi oversight. This follows weeks of tension on Capitol Hill after a leaked Democratic DeFi proposal drew criticism from both Republicans and the crypto industry. Armstrong called the draft a “non-starter” and argued it could drive developers and capital overseas.

Sen. Gillibrand, one of the sponsors of the bipartisan Responsible Finance Innovation Act, is leading the effort to reset the conversation. She will be joined by crypto-friendly Democrats such as Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Warner (D-VA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO), who have advocated for clearer regulatory guardrails and expanded CFTC oversight of digital assets, respectively.

Renewing calls for compromise after receiving backlash

The meeting is aimed at restoring legislative progress that was stalled after negotiations with Republicans broke down in early October. Industry groups such as the Digital Chamber of Commerce and the Blockchain Association had warned that the leaked DeFi framework would “effectively ban” decentralized finance and wallets in the United States.

A coalition letter signed by more than 20 crypto companies, including Chainlink, VanEck, and Binance.US, called on lawmakers to adopt a “bright line” definition that protects innovation. Analysts say the roundtable could be a turning point for Democrats as they seek to restore trust with the industry ahead of year-end meetings.

While there is no immediate legal text expected, insiders describe the incident as an “inflection point” that could determine whether the virtual currency market structure bill moves forward in this Congress.