David Yaffe-Bellany

Absolutely. It's the oldest corporate strategy in American history. But it's still a little surprising coming from the crypto industry because, remember, this industry originated as this kind of renegade libertarian force in American economics. It wanted to be something different, to redefine how business was done in the United States.

Absolutely. It's the oldest corporate strategy in American history. But it's still a little surprising coming from the crypto industry because, remember, this industry originated as this kind of renegade libertarian force in American economics. It wanted to be something different, to redefine how business was done in the United States.

But it's evolved significantly over the last 15 years to the point that it's now kind of another big money industry. It's playing at the big boy table with big pharma, big oil, those other kind of classic political spenders.

But it's evolved significantly over the last 15 years to the point that it's now kind of another big money industry. It's playing at the big boy table with big pharma, big oil, those other kind of classic political spenders.

Well, in addition to spending all this money on congressional races, they're targeting the most important and influential political figure in the country, and that's Donald Trump.

Well, in addition to spending all this money on congressional races, they're targeting the most important and influential political figure in the country, and that's Donald Trump.

Yeah, Trump didn't say much about crypto in his first term. And on the rare occasions that he did talk about it, he was uniformly negative. He tweeted about its volatility, about its association with criminal behavior, and he just spoke plainly about how much he didn't like it.

Yeah, Trump didn't say much about crypto in his first term. And on the rare occasions that he did talk about it, he was uniformly negative. He tweeted about its volatility, about its association with criminal behavior, and he just spoke plainly about how much he didn't like it.

In 2021, he called into Fox Business and suggested that Bitcoin was a scam, that it was designed to undermine the U.S. dollar.

In 2021, he called into Fox Business and suggested that Bitcoin was a scam, that it was designed to undermine the U.S. dollar.

He just didn't hide that skepticism. He made his preferences clear in all sorts of ways. In fact, toward the end of his first term, the SEC under Trump actually brought one of the very first major enforcement lawsuits against the crypto industry. So that was the kind of Trump first term attitude toward crypto.

He just didn't hide that skepticism. He made his preferences clear in all sorts of ways. In fact, toward the end of his first term, the SEC under Trump actually brought one of the very first major enforcement lawsuits against the crypto industry. So that was the kind of Trump first term attitude toward crypto.

But then something happened this year in, you know, early to mid 2024 on the campaign trail.

But then something happened this year in, you know, early to mid 2024 on the campaign trail.

Suddenly, Trump started talking about crypto in a different way. He started saying that he loved it.

Suddenly, Trump started talking about crypto in a different way. He started saying that he loved it.

He made a now very famous appearance at the annual Bitcoin conference in Nashville in July, where he said that if the United States doesn't embrace crypto, then China will.

He made a now very famous appearance at the annual Bitcoin conference in Nashville in July, where he said that if the United States doesn't embrace crypto, then China will.

And he promised to turn the U.S. into the crypto capital of the planet.

And he promised to turn the U.S. into the crypto capital of the planet.