Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently shared some insights from the World Economic Forum. He pointed out that a lot of the discussions there focused on President Donald Trump’s plans for cryptocurrency.
Armstrong mentioned, “Basically every conversation I had with major market leaders was about what the Trump administration plans to do regarding crypto.” This reflects a growing interest in how the administration will shape the crypto landscape.
He added, “President Trump is forcing everyone to up their game.” This shows that market leaders are eager to stay competitive and are curious about how they can avoid falling behind.
This surge in interest follows Trump’s commitment to make the U.S. the “world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.” He announced this during his speech at the WEF, which was one of his first public appearances since taking office.
Armstrong also noted that leaders like Argentina’s President Javier Milei and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele recognize the importance of free markets for prosperity. He stated, “Socialism is on its way out.”
He pointed to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as an example of Trump’s potential initiatives. However, Trump’s recent executive order to create a working group on digital asset markets has sparked speculation about other cryptocurrencies being considered.
While Bitcoin (BTC) investors were hoping for a specific order about a Bitcoin reserve, the executive order indicated plans to “evaluate the creation of a strategic national digital assets stockpile.”
In addition, Armstrong mentioned that financial institutions—like banks and asset managers—are accelerating their investments in crypto. “There are going to be more players and competition than ever in crypto, and we welcome it all,” he said. “We need crypto to update the entire global financial system to bring these benefits to everyone.”
However, some executives from traditional finance expressed interest in Bitcoin but noted that regulatory hurdles still exist. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said, “At the moment, from a regulatory perspective, we can’t own, we can’t principal, we can’t be involved with Bitcoin at all.” He referred to Bitcoin as an “interesting speculative asset.”