Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong waded into one of Washington’s thorniest debates this week: whether elected officials should be allowed to profit from the very digital assets they’re tasked with regulating.

His answer, delivered during a Politico interview on June 4-5, was essentially that it’s complicated. Armstrong argued that overly restrictive rules could create disincentives for talented people to enter public service, while acknowledging the obvious ethical landmines that come with lawmakers holding assets they can directly influence through legislation.

The balancing act between ethics and public service

Armstrong didn’t name any specific cryptocurrencies during the interview, which is notable for the…