Trump to Speak at Digital Asset Summit on 20 March

President Donald Trump is set to speak at Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) in New York on 20 March, marking a historic moment as the first time a sitting US president will address a cryptocurrency conference.

While earlier this month Trump hosted the inaugural White House Crypto Summit—despite some discontent from the crypto community—his upcoming remarks at the summit could provide important updates on the US Bitcoin Reserve and the current regulatory landscape.

Though initial reports suggest Trump’s address may be livestreamed, his participation highlights a notable shift toward engagement with the crypto industry, especially considering the previous administration's strict stance on digital assets.

Jason Yanowitz, one of Blockworks co-founders, said in a March 19 post:

“When we started Blockworks we could barely get someone from a bank to attend an event. Now we have a sitting US President addressing […] 2,500 institutional participants. It is incredible how far this industry has come.”

The event will also feature prominent figures such as Representatives Ro Khanna and Tom Emmer, along with industry leaders like MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

Trump’s remarks are expected to be delivered via video at 10:40 am EST, according to Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett.

The Shifting Tide of Politics

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump addressed the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, where he vowed to make the US the "world's crypto capital" and hinted at plans to establish a national Bitcoin reserve.

Since taking office on 20 January, Trump has taken significant steps to accommodate digital assets, including signing executive orders to guide regulatory bodies, forming a White House crypto advisory team, and creating a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile.

Additionally, he has appointed pro-crypto leaders to key regulatory positions, including at the SEC and the Treasury Department.

Trump's remarks come after Bo Hines, Executive Director of the White House’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, spoke at the DAS, hinting at the administration's efforts to stockpile Bitcoin for the strategic reserve.

Hines told the crowd on Tuesday:

“It’s high time that our president started accumulating assets for the American people, which is what President Trump is doing rather than taking it away. I’ve been asked all the time, it’s like how much do you want, right? I mean, as much as we can get.”

At the Summit, Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that the SEC was dropping its long-running enforcement action against Ripple, a development indicative of a broader trend under Trump’s administration, which has seen charges dropped against crypto firms like Coinbase, Kraken, and Uniswap.