Key Takeaways
- Kevin Hassett is a contender to replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chairman.
- Hasset previously worked as an advisor for Coinbase.
- Financial disclosures reveal that he owns Coinbase stock worth between $1 million and $5 million.
With the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again in 2025 looking slimmer by the day, speculation has increased around who Donald Trump will appoint to lead the central bank when Jerome Powell’s term ends next year.
One contender, Kevin Hassett, is widely favored by the crypto sector.
Emerging as the odds-on favorite in recent weeks, the Trump aide and former Coinbase advisor is viewed as dovish on monetary policy.
Trump on Powell Replacement: ‘I already know my choice’
Speaking on Tuesday, Nov. 18, Trump confirmed that he had already interviewed candidates to be the next Chair of the Federal Reserve.
With Powell’s term set to conclude in May 2026, Trump said, “I already know my choice.”
“We have some surprising names and we have some standard names that everybody’s talking about, and we may go the standard way,” he added.
Trump’s comments were received as a positive signal for Team Hassett.
Following Tuesday’s press conference, contracts for Hasset to be announced as Fed Chair by the end of 2025 jumped on Polymarket.
From around 13% previously, the chances of such an outcome were raised to roughly one in three on the prediction market platform.
Kevin Hassett’s Work for Coinbase
In financial disclosures made for his appointment as director of the National Economic Council earlier this year, Hasset reported owning vested Coinbase stock worth between $1 million and $5 million.
Hasset is among several Washington insiders appointed to Coinbase’s advisory council, which includes former Members of Congress, government officials, and senior political strategists from both parties.
The fact that his COIN shares are vested suggests that Hasset received them as compensation for his work.
He also received a salary of $50,001 from the crypto exchange, the disclosure document reveals.
Trump Seeks Lower Interest Rates
Throughout 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the pace of the Fed’s rate cuts, which he believes should be enacted faster.
Referring to the current Fed Chair, Trump was extremely critical of “Jerome ‘t00 late’ Powell,” who he called “a fool” and “a stupid man” on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hassett has a long public record of arguing for lower interest rates, which tend to uphold stronger crypto markets.
However, it isn’t clear that he would support the kind of dramatic reduction the President has called for.
Commenting on the Fed’s latest rate cut in September, Hasset seemed to endorse the “slow and steady” approach taken under Powell’s leadership, calling the decision to stay attuned to inflation risk “prudent policy.”
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James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
