Crypto Summit Leaves Investors Wanting More Than Just Words

On March 7, the White House held its first-ever crypto summit, signaling a pretty big change in how the U.S. government deals with digital currencies now that Trump is in charge. People in the crypto world were hyped, hoping for some clear-cut policy announcements, but the event kind of left them hanging—no real promises were made, and that’s annoyed a lot of investors.

The summit pulled in big names from top crypto companies to chat about the administration’s take on digital assets. Trump doubled down on his goal of turning the U.S. into the go-to spot for crypto breakthroughs, but honestly, a lot of folks in the industry were looking for more than just fancy words—they wanted action.

A key announcement came from Trump’s “crypto czar,” venture capitalist David Sacks, who revealed that the president had signed an executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. However, the reserve would only include Bitcoin holdings previously seized by federal law enforcement agencies, rather than any new government purchases.

Additionally, a separate “digital asset stockpile” would be created to hold seized non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Ripple. Investors had anticipated fresh government investments into the crypto market, but the executive order lacked any commitment to new purchases, leaving stakeholders underwhelmed.

Following the summit, Bitcoin prices fell by 3% on Friday, closing the week down nearly 7% to $87,000. The market had initially reacted positively to the news of a strategic reserve, but enthusiasm faded after it became clear that the administration would not be actively purchasing additional crypto assets.

Jeff Park, an executive at Bitwise, expressed his disappointment, stating, “We asked for too little. Having only Bitcoin and not the rest of the altcoins in the strategic reserve is not a win.”

Ahead of the summit, White House officials described the Bitcoin reserve as a “digital Fort Knox,” ensuring that the White House officials emphasized that keeping seized crypto assets rather than selling them off immediately would help the government retain control over its digital holdings. In the past, they argued, offloading these assets too soon had cost taxpayers potential profits as Bitcoin’s value continued to climb.

They also put to rest rumors circulating online that crypto investors might be exempt from paying taxes on their gains, making it clear that no such policy was in place. Additionally, they clarified that the reserve would not initially include three non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies, as some investors had hoped.

According to Federal Election Commission data, the cryptocurrency industry played a major role in the 2024 election, contributing over $245 million to political action committees and affiliated groups. Nearly half of all corporate donations in the election reportedly came from crypto-related entities.

While the industry had high hopes for stronger backing from the government, Trump reassured supporters that his administration would “end the federal bureaucracy’s war on crypto.”

Despite the lack of major policy shifts, the fact that a White House crypto summit took place at all represents progress for an industry long seeking mainstream acceptance. However, many investors remain skeptical about whether the administration’s actions will match its pro-crypto rhetoric.