#24 - The CFPB, Student Debt & Crypto (feat. Kathy Kraninger, former CFPB Director & Crypto Regulatory Leader)

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we’re joined by Kathy Kraninger, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Solidus Labs & the former Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). A Republican Trump-appointee confirmed along party lines, Kathy covers several hot-button issues from her tenure leading the CFPB, from the $2T+ student loan debt crisis to the record-high level of consumer complaints filed in 2020. “Many Republicans stated their opposition to the CFPB,” says Kathy, but “I’m a ‘good government person’ and the CFPB’s mission is important,” she adds. Kathy emphasizes the influential role of public service in finance, tracing her own career path through government, from the Department of Transportation in the early 2000s, to the Department of Homeland Security, to leading the CFPB from 2018-2021. Additionally, Kathy digs into cryptocurrency & digital assets, ranging from her thoughts on the Digital Commodity Consumer Protection Act to the recent backlash spurred by Bitcoin’s price collapse. She discusses her transition into the private sector, leading regulatory affairs at Solidus Labs, including her recent experience building the Crypto Market Integrity Coalition (CMIC). We hope you enjoy this in-depth conversation as we did. 00:00 - Intro 14:26 - Consumer Protection 23:46 - Crypto and Crypto Regulation 36:32 - Rapid Fire