A longtime Ethereum developer has jumped into the 2026 House race in suburban Washington — and he’s making crypto central to his pitch.
Joe Schiarizzi, 30, officially launched a Democratic campaign Thursday for Virginia’s 7th congressional district, a seat that could open up after an expected redrawing of the state’s maps later this month. If he wins, Schiarizzi could become the first professional crypto developer elected to Congress.
Schiarizzi’s résumé is squarely rooted in the crypto ecosystem: he’s worked at Consensys, the Ethereum public-goods funding protocol Gitcoin, and NFT marketplace OpenSea. He says that background gives him firsthand experience building decentralized tools now at the center of legislative debates in Washington — and informs his view that crypto should serve everyday people, not political elites.
“Crypto was born after the 2008 crisis as a pushback against corporate capture,” Schiarizzi told Decrypt. He argues the industry should return to those origins instead of being associated with what he calls “self-enrichment” tied to the Trump family and other insider actors. In public posts he’s described the current administration as “the most corrupt” in American history and accused markets tied to hedge funds and insiders of being rigged.
Policy-wise, Schiarizzi favors pragmatic, pro-user reforms. He’s proposing simpler tax rules for retail crypto users, legal exemptions for common crypto tools, and allowing a wider set of assets to back dollar-pegged stablecoins — including municipal bonds that he says could be used to fund hospitals and schools. He also highlights practical crypto applications he’s worked on himself, such as tokenized renewable energy certificates to fund solar projects and on-chain, private payments for medical care.
Schiarizzi is critical of the crop of pro-crypto lawmakers now in Congress from both parties, saying many are courting crypto super PAC money rather than advocating for builders and users. “That money can all go to Republicans who are taking our rights away and don't believe in privacy, or it can go to actual builders who want to use new technology to improve real Americans’ lives,” he said, accusing some politicians of wanting “a check” without understanding the technology’s benefits.
Beyond crypto, Schiarizzi is active in regional housing politics as a leader in the YIMBY movement in northern Virginia. He argues a big expansion of housing supply is urgent, calling surging home prices “tearing apart the fabric of our society.”
The path to a Democratic nomination — and to Congress — is crowded. Multiple Democrats have already signaled interest in the potentially new 7th district, including a state senator, a state delegate, and the wife of a former governor. But Schiarizzi is distinguishing himself by accepting campaign donations in cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC — and even meme coins, including one tied to the president.
Whether a developer-turned-candidate can translate on-chain credibility into votes remains to be seen, but Schiarizzi’s campaign underscores how crypto’s influence in Washington is evolving: the debate is no longer just about industry access, but about who gets to define crypto’s public purpose.
Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news
