Key Takeaways
- Trump's crypto plans dominated discussions at the World Economic Forum.
- A Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is speculated as part of Trump's agenda.
- Financial institutions are accelerating investments in Bitcoin despite regulatory challenges.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump’s crypto policies were the main topic of conversation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Speaking in a Jan. 24 post on X (formerly Twitter), Armstrong said:
Basically every conversation I had with major market leaders was focused on what the Trump Admin planned to do on crypto.
Trump’s vision for U.S. crypto leadership
Trump’s promise to make the U.S. the global leader in artificial intelligence and Bitcoin has intensified global interest.
Armstrong noted that the announcement, made during one of Trump’s first public appearances since his Jan. 20 inauguration, has reportedly…
… forced everyone to up their game.
Global leaders show interest
Armstrong also highlighted interest from leaders like Argentina’s President Javier Milei and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, crediting them with recognizing the role of free markets in fostering prosperity.
He cited Trump’s speculated Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as a prime example of the administration’s potential impact on Bitcoin.
Executive actions and market response
Additionally, Trump’s recent executive order forming a working group on digital asset markets has sparked speculation about the inclusion of other cryptocurrencies.
However, Bitcoin investors had hoped for a reserve-specific directive.
Financial sector adaptation
At the forum, Armstrong shared that financial institutions are “accelerating investments in crypto,” with banks, asset managers, and payment firms preparing for increased competition.
Still, traditional finance executives like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon noted regulatory hurdles, stating:
At the moment, from a regulatory perspective, we can’t own, we can’t principal, we can’t be involved with Bitcoin at all.
