Kevin Hassett, the current director of the National Economic Council (NEC) under President Donald Trump’s second term, has disclosed a large financial stake in Coinbase Global Inc. A draft disclosure of his income reveals that Hassett earned $1.5 million in the year before becoming NEC director in January 2025.
The income consists of a salary from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the Milken Foundation, along with $471,000 in speaking fees from major financial firms such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, and Pacific Investment Management Company. In addition, Hassett earned $50,001 from Coinbase for his consulting job.
Currently, the draft OGE document is waiting for a final decision on whether Hassett needs to sell his Coinbase shares to avoid conflicts of interest. While Senate confirmation is necessary for cabinet appointees, White House staff without such a requirement do not have to disclose detailed ethics plans or divest financial holdings.
Upon assuming office, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a digital asset markets working group within the NEC. Directed by Hassett, the group’s main job is to prepare ideas in favor of American leadership in financial technology.
With this decision, the government underlines its intention to help the crypto industry by enacting new regulations.
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The OGE, the agency charged with enforcing ethics standards for federal officials, has encountered challenges during this period. In February 2025, Trump dismissed OGE director David Huitema and named Jamieson Greer, a senior U.S. Trade Representative official, as acting director.
This leadership change occurred as several new White House appointees reported complicated financial backgrounds, particularly with business and crypto sector investments.
Hassett’s disclosure follows similar news about Brian Quintenz, Trump’s nominee for chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), who reported $3.4 million in assets, much of it in crypto-related funds and investment vehicles. Quintenz has pledged to divest if confirmed.