Chris Lehane, Paul Clement, and Christa Davies Join Coinbase’s Board of Directors

We're at a unique moment in American history where a stunning alignment has emerged -- 9 in 10 Americans from across the political spectrum believe the financial system needs an update. Crypto is a generational opportunity to update the financial system so it’s more accessible, cheaper and faster – bolstering economic freedom for millions of people around the world. 

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have noticed both the upwelling demand from the American people to update the system, and how crypto can be a tool to help. More than one million Americans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – have raised their hands to Stand with Crypto in this election, and are making their voices heard with their representatives across the aisle. 

This has resulted in a massive shift in the national political environment around crypto. In the last 6 months alone we've seen seismic shifts in the administrative crackdown on crypto, historic bipartisan legislation advance through Congress, and crypto emerge as a defining issue on candidate and party platforms throughout the country.

On the heels of this momentum, we’re announcing that three new Board members are joining Coinbase. They each have different political philosophies. They each have had vastly different career paths. But, they have all arrived at the same conclusion: crypto is a powerful tool to update the system. 

Chris Lehane, VP of Public Works and member of the executive team at OpenAI, has been actively supporting the campaign for crypto as part of Coinbase's Global Advisory Council and as Chief Strategy Officer at Haun Ventures (where he remains as an Operating Partner). Lehane is known for navigating political battlefields, leading to victories for Clinton-Gore and Airbnb’s pathway to legality in all 50 states and across the globe. In 2012, Lehane co-authored a book on strategic communications, and he co-wrote/co-produced a political satire film, “Knife Fight,” that was theatrically released in 2013. 

With countries around the world developing new rules that embrace crypto’s potential to update the financial system, Chris will provide strategic counsel to Coinbase's leadership as the company works to make onchain the new online.

Paul Clement is a partner of Clement & Murphy PLLC, a law firm specializing in Supreme Court, appellate, and strategic litigation, and the former US Solicitor General under President George W. Bush. He is one of the most frequently appearing attorneys before the U.S. Supreme Court, having argued over 100 cases. Most recently, Paul served as the lead lawyer representing the Loper Bright fishermen in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a landmark Supreme Court decision which overturned the Chevron deference and will help curb regulatory overreach.

Paul will join our Audit & Compliance Committee, and advise Coinbase’s efforts to push back against the SEC’s overreach and fight for clear rules of the road for digital assets. 

Christa Davies is a seasoned financial leader with a track record of driving disciplined financial and operational performance for large, global organizations. She has served as Aon’s CFO since 2008, and as a member of the Board of Directors for both Stripe and Workday. At Aon, Christa drove an unwavering focus on top and bottom-line growth, disciplined capital allocation, and portfolio management, resulting in strong shareholder returns. Prior to joining Aon, Christa was VP and CFO of the Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft.

Christa will join our Audit & Compliance Committee and support Coinbase’s focus on financial and operational excellence on a global scale.

Chris, Paul, and Christa have proven time and again that they fight to win – just like Coinbase does in our fight for the fair treatment of crypto. We’re honored to have them with us on the frontlines.