Former U.S. President and presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. He covered many topics, emphasizing the importance of Libertarian-Republican collaboration for electoral success.
On the subject of cryptocurrency, Trump said:Â
“I will support the right to self-custody,” he added. “To the nation’s 50 million crypto holders, I say this: with your vote, I will keep Elizabeth Warren and her goons away from your bitcoin, and I will never allow the creation of a central bank digital currency [CBDC].”
Trump also stated:Â
Trump has significantly shifted his stance on cryptocurrencies since his 2019 Twitter (now X) post where he described: “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.” Since leaving office, Trump has launched three non-fungible token (NFT) collections.
The former U.S. president is now the first major party nominee to accept campaign donations in cryptocurrency. Chris Giancarlo, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), views Trump as the first crypto president due to the approval of bitcoin futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during his administration. Recently, Trump criticized Joe Biden’s understanding of crypto, urging supporters of cryptocurrency to vote for him. In March, the 45th U.S. president referred to bitcoin as “an additional form of currency,” and in February, he acknowledged its growing popularity, stating that bitcoin has taken on a life of its own and he can live with it.
