NEW YORK — With the U.S. government’s help, the crypto industry will become a dominant in finance, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday.
Crypto is “as big as you can get,” he said during a five-minute taped speech at the Digital Asset Summit in Manhattan. Trump was met by a full room of attendees, many of whom entered the room just before his scheduled speech and who immediately vacated after he wrapped up.
“Pioneers like you will be able to improve our banking and payment system and promote greater privacy, safety, security and wealth for American consumers and businesses alike,” he said. “You will unleash an explosion of economic growth.”
Trump noted that his administration has already stopped selling seized Bitcoin and has brought together industry leaders with his government’s officials.
“We’re ending the last administration’s regulatory war on crypto and Bitcoin, and that includes stopping the lawless Operation Choke Point. Operation Choke Point went beyond regulation, and I mean far beyond. Frankly, it was a disgrace,” he said in what was his second appearance at a crypto conference, after a campaign stop at Bitcoin Nashville in 2024. “But as of January 2025, all of that is over.”
Trump has already signed two executive orders tied to digital assets since taking office for his second term on Jan. 20, after previously creating a working group for digital assets and establishing a Bitcoin reserve using previously seized assets.
Speculation ahead of Thursday’s speech included rumors that his order would address crypto debanking or crypto taxes, though ultimately he did not announce any new actions, instead reiterating what his administration has already done.
“It’s an honor to speak with you about how the United States is going to dominate crypto and the next generation of financial technologies,” he said. “And it’s not going to be easy, but we’re way ahead.”
Trump has courted the crypto industry over the past year, starting with the 2024 presidential campaign. Since taking office, he’s continued showing his support for the industry, both through his executive actions and through his regulators’ efforts to roll back actions brought under the previous administration of Joe Biden.
