Former Obama Staffer Lauren Belive Joins Ripple to Navigate U.S. Regulatory Waters

Recently, Lauren Belive announced her appointment as the new Head of U.S. Public Policy and Government at FinTech firm Ripple, a key player in modernizing international payment systems.

Belive emphasized the importance of active involvement in policy discussions in Washington D.C. and the United States. She aims to not just participate in these dialogues but also steer them in a meaningful direction. As regulations around cryptocurrencies continue to change, she stressed the necessity of pushing for rules that benefit the crypto sector and the numerous businesses and individuals who stand to gain from these technological innovations. Finally, she expressed her enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with Robert Grant and the talented team at Ripple.

Belive’s career in public policy and government relations has been both diverse and impactful. She began her professional journey as a Staff Assistant for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington, D.C., from January 2007 to June 2008, under the chairmanship of Henry Waxman.

In 2008, she joined the Obama for America campaign as a Regional Research Director, based in Chicago, Illinois. After the election, she briefly served as a Legislative Assistant for the Obama Biden Transition Team from November 2008 to January 2009. She then moved on to a role in the White House, working in the Office of Legislative Affairs from January 2009 until April 2012.

Following her stint at the White House, Belive served as a Policy Director for the U.S. House Committee on Rules from April 2012 to May 2015. She then transitioned to the private sector, joining Lyft as the Head of Federal Government Relations. She held this position for over five years, from June 2015 to September 2020.

Belive continued her career in the corporate sector as the Head of U.S. Government Relations at Zoom from September 2020 to January 2022. Most recently, before her current role at Ripple, she served as the Director of Government Affairs at SoftBank Group Corp., from January 2022 to January 2023.

The move comes at a time when cryptocurrency companies are intensifying their lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., advocating for a regulatory revamp. These firms argue that current regulations are inadequate and risk driving crypto-related activities out of the U.S. to other jurisdictions.

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