President Donald Trump is set to welcome cryptocurrency industry leaders to the White House on Friday for an unprecedented “crypto summit.”
The meeting, a significant nod to the digital asset sector that played a crucial role in his re-election campaign, comes just a day after Trump signed an executive order creating a “crypto reserve”—a national stockpile of Bitcoin.
The initiative has drawn criticism, with opponents arguing that it benefits major crypto investors rather than serving broader national interests.
Brian Armstrong, Michael Saylor among key industry leaders expected to attend
According to CoinTelegraph, over 20 high-profile crypto executives have confirmed their attendance.
The roundtable, scheduled to take place from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm UTC, will feature key figures from both the private sector and the Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets.
Confirmed attendees include Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Kraken CEO Arjun Sethi, and Chainlink cofounder Sergey Nazarov.
Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor, a vocal Bitcoin advocate, will also be present, along with Exodus CEO JP Richardson, Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey, and investors such as Matt Huang of Paradigm and Kyle Samani of Multicoin Capital.
Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett noted that invitations were sent out by the White House on Friday morning.
However, it remains unclear whether additional guests, including key administration officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, will be in attendance.
Stablecoin regulation, regulatory clarity on tokenisation
Led by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, the summit is expected to focus on key policy discussions, including digital asset regulation and the mechanics of Trump’s newly announced Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Among the influential figures attending the summit, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has arguably played the most pivotal role in shaping the industry’s political standing.
Once focused solely on expanding crypto adoption, Armstrong has in recent years transformed into one of Washington’s most active crypto lobbyists.
Armstrong has made it clear that his priority is pushing forward much-needed legislative reforms.
“From our point of view, the next step in the United States that’s the most urgent is getting legislation passed,” Armstrong told CNBC ahead of the Summit, citing stablecoin regulation and broader market structure reforms as immediate priorities.
His views align with growing bipartisan support in Congress for clearer digital asset laws.
Just this week, the Senate voted to overturn two Biden-era crypto regulations, with Senator Ted Cruz calling the move a gateway for further industry-friendly legislation.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, another prominent attendee, has been vocal about the potential of tokenization to democratize investment access.
In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Tenev argued that blockchain technology could break down barriers in private markets, where access to high-growth companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Stripe remains restricted to institutional investors.
“Crypto technology can unlock new ways to trade and invest in all assets, from digital to real-world,” he told CNBC ahead of the event.
“Tokenization will transform investing, but we need regulatory clarity to make it happen.”
Under current SEC regulations, only accredited investors—individuals with a net worth exceeding $1 million or annual earnings above $200,000—can participate in private markets.
Tenev believes reforming these rules and establishing a clear security token registration framework would level the playing field for retail investors.
Bitcoin-only reserve sparks industry debate
Prior to Trump’s executive order on Thursday, speculation swirled over which cryptocurrencies would be included in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The final announcement confirmed that only Bitcoin would be part of the reserve, despite Trump’s initial Truth Social post mentioning other tokens, including Ether, XRP, Solana’s SOL, and Cardano’s ADA.
The decision led to a sharp market reaction, with SOL, Ether, and Bitcoin each dropping around 5% late Thursday, while ADA plunged nearly 12%.
Trump’s order marks the first time the US government has formally recognized Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
The reserve will be funded exclusively through Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases, ensuring that taxpayers do not bear any financial burden.
Meanwhile, non-Bitcoin assets seized by the government will be placed in a separate Digital Asset Stockpile managed by the Treasury Department.
With regulatory clarity now a top priority, Friday’s summit could be a defining moment for the future of cryptocurrency policy in the United States.
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