Encryption-friendly Senator is about to leave office, the industry expresses hopes for Lummis's encryption legacy.

The cryptocurrency community has been discussing a somewhat regrettable matter these days. U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis announced a decision – she will not run for re-election next year.

As soon as this news came out, the industry reacted strongly. David Sacks, the White House AI and encryption affairs director, directly called her “a great ally in the encryption field.” Collin McCune, the head of government affairs at a16z, even said more bluntly—without Lummis's years of hard work in Congress, the encryption industry would not have developed to this extent. Even Bitcoin evangelist and host of “Coin Stories,” Greg Xethalis, voiced his gratitude for her service and wished her to start a new chapter in her life.

Why do people value her so much? Simply put, it’s because she is really getting things done. As the chair of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee's Digital Assets Subcommittee, Lummis is the main proponent of the “Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act.” At the same time, she is also a key advocate for the “CLARITY Act” (encryption market structure act) and the “Responsible Financial Innovation Act.” These bills have a significant impact on the regulation and development direction of the entire industry.

Looking back at the time of Biden's administration, Lummis has publicly criticized the punitive enforcement approach of former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. Her stance has always been firm—friendly towards the encryption industry and opposed to excessive regulation. Now that she is leaving, the crypto community is both grateful for her contributions and pondering who will continue to advance these agendas that are beneficial for the industry.