Original|Odaily Planet Daily(@OdailyChina)
Author|CryptoLeo(@LeoAndCrypto)
The full list of candidates for Federal Reserve Chair was finalized yesterday. Yesterday, Trump announced that he will interview Rick Rieder, BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, on Thursday to assess his potential as the next Fed Chair, marking the fourth and final interview for candidates to succeed Chair Powell. Besides Rieder, the final shortlist includes former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and Fed Governor Christopher Waller. Trump stated that he will make the final decision in January.
Among the four candidates, Rieder is likely the least familiar to most, as Odaily has previously covered the other candidates. Today, we will introduce this potential Fed Chair candidate.
Related references:
"Academic Outsider: Small-Town Professor Waller Emerges as Top Contender for Fed Chair"
"Is BTC's 'Strict Principal' Coming? If He Leads the Fed, the Crypto Party Might End Abruptly"
A Veteran "BlackRocker" Deeply Rooted in Fixed Income
Rieder was born in October 1961. LinkedIn data shows that he studied at Emory University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance from Emory in 1983 and an MBA from Wharton in 1987.
After graduation, Rieder worked at Lehman Brothers for 20 years from 1987 to 2008, holding senior positions such as Global Head of Credit Business and Global Head of Principal Strategies.
After Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, Rieder started his own venture, founding R3 Capital (focused on multi-strategy credit investments) and serving as its CEO. The firm was acquired by BlackRock in 2009. This means Rick Rieder joined BlackRock along with his startup, becoming a Managing Director and leading the Fixed Income Alternatives Portfolio Team.
To date, Rieder has been with BlackRock for 17 years. His current roles include BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, Head of the Fundamental Fixed Income business, and Head of the Global Allocation Investment Team. Rieder manages trillions of dollars in assets, is a member of BlackRock's Global Executive Committee (GEC) and its GEC Investment Subcommittee, and chairs the firm-wide BlackRock Investment Committee. He is also currently a member of the Alphabet/Google Investment Advisory Committee and the UBS Research Advisory Committee.
Notably, Rieder has also served as Vice Chairman of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee and as a member of the Federal Reserve's Investment Advisory Committee on Financial Markets.
How Does Rieder Differ from the Other Candidates?
Compared to the other three candidates, Rieder has less experience working directly for the U.S. government. However, for the crypto industry, the key point of interest is: Rieder is decidedly pro-crypto. In recent years, Rieder has repeatedly expressed positive views on cryptocurrencies (especially Bitcoin) in public, evolving from initial caution to recognizing Bitcoin's value as a durable asset and hard asset for investment. Below are his public statements related to crypto:
November 2020: Rieder commented on CNBC, stating that digital payment systems are real, and cryptocurrencies will exist long-term. Bitcoin's mechanism is durable, more functional, and more traceable; it can largely replace gold, especially given the high acceptance of digital payments among millennials.
2021: In an interview with CNBC, Rieder stated that Bitcoin is a durable asset and will be part of the investment landscape long-term. BlackRock had begun "dipping its toes in a small way." Although Bitcoin faces challenges like high volatility and regulation, these will be overcome over time.
Additionally, Rieder mentioned that he personally holds Bitcoin (without disclosing the amount), believing its price will rise significantly and that holding Bitcoin as a speculative tool offers high value.
2022: In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Rieder stated that the crypto market crash was similar to the early internet era. He maintained that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are durable assets, but there was excessive investment built around them. The crash was a recalibration for the industry, eliminating some excess leverage. Once the market healthy, he remains bullish long-term, stating, "In just 2 or 3 years, the crypto market will be higher than it is today."
September 2025: In a CNBC interview, Rieder stated that an ideal portfolio should hold "hard assets" like gold and Bitcoin to hedge against fiat currency devaluation. Rieder mentioned BlackRock invests 3–5% in gold but "far less" in cryptocurrency. He believes Bitcoin will rise but considers a 5% allocation potentially too high.
The evolution of his public comments shows that, from his professional investment perspective, Rieder is personally bullish on Bitcoin, affirming its long-term value and viewing institutional Bitcoin holdings as a sound investment strategy.
Potential Impact on Crypto if Rieder Is Elected
Between 2020 and 2025, Rieder repeatedly evaluated Bitcoin from the angles of institutional portfolio construction, macro hedging (e.g., against inflation, fiat devaluation), and liquidity. His recent inclusion on the Fed Chair shortlist makes these comments worth revisiting. Compared to the other candidates, Rieder is decidedly the most pro-crypto figure. If elected Fed Chair, he could indirectly bring several benefits to the crypto industry:
1. Macro Policy: Advocating for Significant Rate Cuts
Rieder has consistently argued in recent months for lowering interest rates to 3%, meaning at least a 50 basis point cut from current levels. Rieder stated: "My stance has been very clear for many months now. The Fed must cut rates, and I don't think it needs to cut by much, ultimately landing at 3%—a level closer to the neutral rate."
Furthermore, Rieder noted that whoever becomes Fed Chair, the entire Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will make appropriate decisions based on economic data analysis and assessment.
2. Professional Angle: More Institutional Participation
As BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, Rieder led the push for BlackRock to allocate to Bitcoin futures as early as 2021, and the subsequent launch of IBIT was very successful. Given Rieder's track record, if elected Fed Chair, his pro-crypto stance would likely attract more institutional investors into the market.
3. Personal Perspective: Bullish on Crypto and Promoting Development
Although Rieder hasn't disclosed his personal Bitcoin holdings, BlackRock's progression from early Bitcoin futures to crypto ETFs shows he doesn't just talk the talk. He is highly bullish on Bitcoin's long-term value, emphasizing its "upside convexity" to amplify crypto returns in a loose monetary environment.
Additionally, as a professional fixed-income analyst, Rieder seeks yield in high-interest/high-volatility environments—areas where crypto markets can excel. He would likely promote development in crypto industry areas like asset tokenization, stablecoins, and DeFi.
As of writing, Polymarket data shows the probability of Kevin Warsh becoming Fed Chair is temporarily at 40% (up 6%), Kevin Hassett at 38% (up 7%), Christopher Waller at 9% (down 9%), and Rick Rieder has the lowest probability at 7% (up 6%). Although his odds are lower compared to Warsh and Hassett, the 6-point increase means he's soon to overtake Waller.
Furthermore, if Trump's pick is not currently a member of the Federal Reserve Board, that person must first join the Board. For Rieder, to become Chair, he would need a nomination from Trump and confirmation by the Senate to become a Board member—a process that could take months before he could become Fed Chair.
The outcome depends on his meeting with Trump and [presumably, aides] on Thursday. Odaily will provide updates on related developments promptly. Everyone can also closely monitor the data changes for the corresponding contracts on Polymarket.
