Trump Eyes Kevin Hassett For Fed Chair, A Candidate With Notable Links to Crypto

Kevin Hassett has reportedly moved to the front of the pack in President Donald Trump’s search for the next Federal Reserve chair, putting a longtime ally with deep crypto ties within reach of the top job in global monetary policy.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the White House National Economic Council director now ranks as the leading candidate as Trump enters the final stretch of his Fed search.

Trump’s advisers and allies reportedly describe Hassett as someone the president knows well, trusts on rate policy and believes would lean more quickly toward cutting interest rates than the current chair, Jerome Powell.

Hassett has indicated he would be willing to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if chosen.

Trump Seeks A Fed Chair Aligned With His Push For Lower Rates

Installing Hassett at the Fed would tighten Trump’s grip on an institution he has repeatedly criticized for not easing fast enough.

People familiar with the internal discussions say the president wants a chair who is more aligned with his preference for lower borrowing costs to support growth and markets, including digital assets, Bloomberg reported.

The process is still fluid. Trump has a record of last-minute changes on personnel and policy, and aides caution that no decision is final until the president announces it.

Bessent Nears Final Decision As Fed Chair Search Enters Its Last Stretch

Behind the scenes, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been running a structured selection process since the summer. Reports say he recently completed a second round of interviews with Hassett and several other contenders, including former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, current governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, and BlackRock executive Rick Rieder.

Bessent said this week that there is a “very good chance” Trump will reveal his choice before Christmas, although the timing ultimately rests with the president and could slip into early 2026.

The stakes are high for traditional markets and crypto alike. Powell’s term as Fed chair ends on May 15, 2026. He could stay on as a governor until Jan. 2028 if he is not reappointed as chair, but the White House is expected to name a successor and push for Senate confirmation well in advance to ensure a smooth handover.

Any shift in leadership and in the path of rates will shape dollar liquidity, risk appetite and the regulatory mood music around digital assets.

Hassett’s Crypto Links Raise Questions As Fed Decision Nears

For crypto traders, Hassett is not just another central banking technocrat. Earlier this year, he disclosed owning more than $1m worth of stock in Coinbase.

A financial disclosure cited by Bloomberg showed the Coinbase stake valued in the range of $1m to $5m as vested stock, and placed his total assets at no less than $7.6m.

The same draft filing, submitted to the Office of Government Ethics, showed that Hassett received $50,001 in salary from Coinbase for work on its Academic and Regulatory Advisory Council.

That body has included other figures with Trump world connections, such as former SEC chair Jay Clayton and former Central Intelligence Agency general counsel Courtney Elwood.

Those links have already prompted debate in Washington and on crypto trading desks. Some see a potential conflict of interest if a former Coinbase adviser with a large personal stake in the exchange takes charge of a central bank that is weighing rules on stablecoins, bank exposures to digital assets and the future of a digital dollar.

Others argue that a chair who understands the industry from the inside could steer a more pragmatic course on regulation and reduce what many in the sector see as policy whiplash.

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