Trump is pushing a sweeping crypto agenda, from potential Bitcoin purchases to faster passage of the Clarity Act, as the US seeks to dominate the digital asset industry
US President Donald Trump stepped up his administration’s push to make the country a global cryptocurrency hub on Wednesday, saying the government could consider buying “sizable” amounts of Bitcoin and other digital assets while urging Congress to pass a long-awaited crypto market structure bill.
Speaking at a White House meeting with senior cryptocurrency executives and financial regulators, Trump called for lawmakers to advance the Clarity Act, legislation that would establish clearer rules for digital assets and define the roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Trump said the idea of the US accumulating more Bitcoin had been discussed and that he would listen to recommendations from his administration’s officials. He did not announce a purchase programme, provide a timeline or specify how such acquisitions would be funded.
“It’s been talked about,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of accumulating sizeable amounts of Bitcoin. He added that he would listen to recommendations from SEC Chair Paul Atkins and other officials.
The comments come after Trump’s administration established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in 2025, initially based on Bitcoin seized by the government. A decision to make substantial open-market purchases would represent a significant escalation in Washington’s involvement in the cryptocurrency market.
Trump pushes Clarity Act
Trump’s central message at the summit was that Congress must provide the crypto industry with clearer rules.
More from Business“Now we need Congress to take the next step by passing the Clarity Act,” Trump said, describing it as legislation that would help keep the US ahead of China and other countries in financial and technological innovation.
The Clarity Act seeks to establish whether particular digital assets should fall under securities or commodities laws and which federal regulator should oversee them. The lack of a comprehensive framework has been a longstanding complaint from crypto companies operating in the US.
The legislation, however, has faced delays in the Senate. Its prospects have also been complicated by concerns among Democrats and some Republicans over restrictions on political officials profiting from cryptocurrency ventures. Those concerns have particular relevance for Trump, whose family has generated substantial income from crypto-related businesses.
Trump has denied having a day-to-day role in his family’s businesses and has said his investments are independently managed.
‘War on crypto’ is over
Trump also used the summit to reinforce his broader policy shift towards digital assets, saying his administration had “ended the war on crypto once and for all”.
The event brought together some of the biggest names in the US crypto and financial markets, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi and Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeffrey Sprecher.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Mike Selig also attended, underlining the administration’s effort to bring the crypto industry and its regulators into the same policy framework.
Atkins has been pursuing a more permissive regulatory framework for digital assets. The SEC on Tuesday proposed rules aimed at making it easier for certain crypto companies to issue tokens and raise capital without falling under traditional securities regulations.
At the White House event, Atkins said the US should ensure that technological advances are developed domestically.
“We will ensure that the greatest advances of the technological frontier are realised right here in America,” he said.
Hyperliquid gets Trump boost
Trump also highlighted efforts by the CFTC to bring Hyperliquid, a major decentralised trading platform, into the US regulatory framework.
He said CFTC Chair Selig was working to bring Hyperliquid into the United States “in a fully compliant and legal fashion”.
The comments triggered a sharp move in Hyperliquid’s native HYPE token, which rose by double digits following Trump’s remarks. Reports put the gain at around 17 per cent at one point.
Hyperliquid has emerged as a major venue for perpetual futures trading, allowing users to take leveraged positions on crypto and other assets without owning the underlying asset. Bringing such activity into the US regulatory system could mark a major step towards integrating decentralised trading platforms with traditional financial markets.
US seeks crypto leadership
The summit underscored the strategic dimension of Trump’s crypto policy.
Trump said the US must remain the “undisputed leader” in Bitcoin and digital assets, while executives from the industry argued that America should lead the global crypto market.
The administration’s approach contrasts sharply with the enforcement-heavy stance that crypto companies faced under the previous US administration. The White House has instead promoted regulatory clarity, domestic investment and the development of blockchain and digital-asset infrastructure.
The White House has previously described the goal as making the US the “crypto capital of the world”.
Markets responded positively to the combination of the White House summit and the latest regulatory signals. Bitcoin climbed above $68,000 on Wednesday, while crypto-linked equities also advanced.
For the crypto industry, however, the biggest test remains legislative. Trump can push Congress to act, but the Clarity Act still needs to overcome political disagreements in the Senate before the US can claim to have the comprehensive regulatory framework that the industry has been seeking.
