Former US President Donald Trump will be a keynote speaker at the highly anticipated Bitcoin 2024 Conference, set to take place on July 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee.
This announcement has generated significant buzz within the Bitcoin community and beyond, marking a notable shift in Trump’s stance on digital assets.
Trump’s participation as a speaker at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference represents a historic moment for the Bitcoin industry.
This will be the first time a former US president publicly addresses the global Bitcoin community. The event organizers confirmed that Trump will deliver a 30-minute speech on the final day of the conference, July 27, at 2 p.m. CT.
His speech will be live-streamed to a global audience, ensuring that his message reaches Bitcoin enthusiasts worldwide.
Trump’s involvement in the Bitcoin 2024 Conference is particularly noteworthy given his previous skepticism towards digital assets. In 2019, he famously stated, “I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air.”
He also expressed concerns about unregulated digital assets facilitating unlawful activities.
However, in recent months, Trump has shown strong support for the emerging Bitcoin industry. His pro-Bitcoin rhetoric has become a central part of his campaign platform as the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee.
In May 2024, Trump announced his support for the American Bitcoin industry, advocating for financial freedom and the growth of the U.S. Bitcoin sector on the global stage.
He also pledged to protect the right to self-custody for the nation’s estimated 50 million digital asset holders if elected president.
Related: Donald Trump’s Bitcoin Bet Marks A New Chapter in American Politics
Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant, questioned Trump’s motives, asking whether his support for Bitcoin is a genuine effort to make the United States a Bitcoin nation or merely a strategy to gain votes.
He asked: “Is this a strategy to gain votes, or is it a genuine effort to make the United States a #Bitcoin nation? Does anyone know?”
Gabor Gurbacs, founder of PointsVille and strategist at Tether, offered a more politically charged reaction: “If Trump wins the election, America will grow two large orange balls. It’s time for America to get its balls back anyways.”
Matthew Pines, director at Sentinel One, emphasized the potential broader implications of Trump’s administration on global markets, noting the significant geopolitical and monetary impacts. He stated:
“I don’t think most ‘serious’ macro analysts have given enough thought to just how bonkers a Trump administration would be for Bitcoin and attendant cascading geopolitical and monetary impacts.”
Leading up to the conference, Trump has actively engaged with the Bitcoin community. Last month, he met with major U.S. Bitcoin miners and pledged his support for Bitcoin mining in the United States. He declared:
“I will ensure that the future of Bitcoin and crypto will be made in the USA and not driven overseas. I will support the right to self-custody […] And I will never allow the creation of the Central Bank Digital Currency.”
Trump highlighted his commitment to bolstering the domestic Bitcoin industry. He said he wants “all the remaining bitcoin to be made in the USA.”
Trump’s campaign has also started accepting political donations in digital assets, further solidifying his stance. His advocacy has garnered support from prominent figures in the Bitcoin world, including Gemini founders the Winklevoss twins and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood.
The Bitcoin 2024 Conference is set to be a pivotal event, not only for the Bitcoin community but also for shaping the future of Bitcoin and its policy in the United States.
The conference, which has moved from Miami to Nashville, will feature several U.S. politicians, including independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and Republican Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who gave a keynote speech at Bitcoin 2023, has been a vocal supporter of the digital asset industry.
He pledged to ensure people’s right to hold and use Bitcoin remains “inviolable.” The presence of multiple presidential candidates at the conference underscores the growing importance of Bitcoin policy in the political arena.
Trump’s backing of Bitcoin stands in stark contrast to the stance of his opponent, President Joe Biden.
The Biden administration has been less favorable towards the industry, with increased regulatory scrutiny following high-profile bankruptcies and fraud cases in 2022.
The White House has expressed a desire to work with Congress to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets, but significant announcements related to Bitcoin or blockchain have yet to materialize.
In a letter addressed to President Biden, the U.S. tech industry group Chamber of Progress urged him to voice support for comprehensive digital asset regulation.
They argued that Trump has capitalized on the Biden administration’s lack of clarity, positioning himself as a champion for the industry.
Trump’s participation in the Bitcoin 2024 Conference is expected to have a broader impact beyond the Bitcoin community. Zack Guzmán, an award-winning journalist, highlighted the high stakes and significant promises associated with Trump’s participation.
He noted that Trump is expected to triple down on freeing Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, commit to banning a US Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and reaffirm the right to self-custody and mine Bitcoin in the USA.
