Kevin Hassett, the current director of the National Economic Council (NEC), revealed a substantial stake in Coinbase Global Inc. The stake is valued between $1 million and $5 million, according to a draft financial disclosure released by the federal Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
The vested stock stems from Hassett’s advisory role with the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange. His total assets are reported to be worth at least $7.6 million.
Hassett earned $1.5 million in the year-plus before starting as NEC director in January 2025; he was one of the first prominent White House officials in Trump’s second term to share financial holdings. This income includes salaries from Stanford University, where he served as an economics fellow at the Hoover Institution, and the Milken Foundation.
He also pocketed $471,000 in speaking fees from firms like Goldman Sachs, CitiGroup Global Markets, Pacific Investment Management Co., and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association.
Additionally, he reported earning of $50,001 from Coinbase, a major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange. He got this money for being part of a group called the Academic and Regulatory Advisory Council, which also includes other people connected to Trump.
As per the reports, the draft disclosure, still pending OGE approval, does not clarify if Hassett must divest his Coinbase shares to avoid conflicts of interest. Unlike cabinet secretaries, White House staff who do not require Senate confirmation are not obligated to publicize detailed ethics plans.
Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order forming a digital asset markets working group within the NEC to propose regulations and laws bolstering U.S. leadership in financial technology.
The White House is taking longer to share financial disclosure documents for its officials during President Donald Trump’s second term compared to his first term. Back in the year 2017, key advisers like Jared Kushner and Gary Cohn had their financial details released by March 31. These disclosures show what assets officials own and help avoid conflicts of interest.
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the agency responsible for making sure these rules are followed, is finding it tricky to manage because many of Trump’s appointees come from the business world and have complicated finances. In February 2025, Trump fired the OGE’s leader, David Huitema, and picked Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, to temporarily take over as acting director.
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