Donald Trump delivered a keynote speech at the world’s largest bitcoin conference on Saturday, a strategic move aimed at positioning himself as the presidential candidate who will help the struggling bitcoin industry avoid excessive federal scrutiny.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000 at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, the Republican presidential candidate vowed that if elected to a second term, “the United States will become the crypto capital of the planet and the global bitcoin superpower.”
“If Bitcoin goes to the moon, I want America to be the leader,” Trump said, arguing that under his leadership, the digital currency could one day surpass gold in value.
Trump also pledged to end the so-called “cryptocurrency wars” with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and said he would fire Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Genzer, who is leading the regulatory crackdown on digital currencies.
“For three and a half years, this administration has waged a war on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin the likes of which nobody has ever seen,” he said.
The announcement that Gensler would remove the president if re-elected drew loud cheers from the crowd.
President Trump also promised to appoint a Presidential Advisory Committee on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency to regulate the industry, but the new rules will be written by people who “love the industry” and want to help it grow.
During his presidency, Trump has been highly skeptical of the cryptocurrency market, stating in 2019 that “The United States has only one real currency, and it’s the strongest currency ever. And that’s the US Dollar!”
But in recent years, he has embraced digital currency, and his campaign began accepting donations in cryptocurrency in May.
His running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), has introduced and sponsored pro-cryptocurrency legislation. Vance, a former venture capitalist, is a Bitcoin shareholder.
Cryptocurrency advocates hope that with President Trump back in the White House, Bitcoin will become more mainstream.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro campaigned in the Keystone State earlier in the day in support of Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and sought to position himself as her top running mate.
After Democrats removed Biden from the running and the 81-year-old Vice President endorsed him, Harris, 59, embarked on a four-month sprint to the 2024 election.
Shapiro is widely seen as the leading candidate to be Harris’ running mate. He is popular in New Jersey and is seen as a moderate who would balance out Harris. His voting record as a senator makes him the most liberal member of the House, according to GovTrack.
Former NASA astronaut and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are also being considered as potential candidates. Harris is due to decide on her nominee by August 7.
Harris’ schedule on Saturday included a visit to a fundraiser in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where she was expected to raise $1.4 million, a huge increase from the $400,000 organizers had initially hoped to raise. According to Politico.
The vice president later spoke at an online conference of Voters of Tomorrow, a progressive group that represents Gen Z and millennial voters, among more than a dozen youth groups that have voiced their support for Harris.
Additional reporting by John Levin.
