As an assistant US Attorney for northern California, Kathryn Haun peered into some of the darkest corners of the cryptocurrency world. Among her greatest hits were the prosecution of a pair of rogue federal agents who were stealing bitcoin while investigating the illicit marketplace Silk Road in 2015, and settling a criminal investigation into Ripple later that same year.
Those were uncertain times for the cryptocurrency world. It was associated with black-market drugs through Silk Road and the meteoric rise—and just as sudden collapse—of the Tokyo-based Mt. Gox exchange. Haun, who goes by Katie, became the point person for all things cryptocurrency in the US government, heading the first cross-agency task force on the industry. She held that post until last year.
Despite Haun’s experience with the crooks and scammers in the bitcoin world, she emerged as a vocal supporter of cryptocurrencies. Her time in government also made her a sought-after interpreter of regulatory trends affecting the crypto world. After leaving the Justice Department last May, she now teaches a class on cryptocurrency at Stanford’s business school, with economist Susan Athey, and sits on the board of Coinbase, one of the biggest crypto exchanges.
Quartz spoke to Haun by phone to get her read on the US government’s sharpening focus on crypto regulation; the industry insider who tipped her off to a rogue agent; and “crypto Twitter.” The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
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