Former President Donald Trump is set to deliver a keynote address at the 2024 Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, this weekend, amid growing speculation that Trump may announce Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset for the United States. This move could have a significant impact on the entire cryptocurrency industry.
Bitcoin Contributions Support Trump and Vance’s Platform
According to a CNBC report, Trump has raised over $4 million in campaign contributions from a variety of digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), XRP, Circle’s USDC stablecoin, and various memecoins, ahead of his highly anticipated appearance at the conference.
Per the report, the contributions were made through the “Trump 47” joint fundraising committee, which raised over $118 million between April 1 and June 30.
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The report also indicates that at least 19 donors contributed more than $2.15 million in Bitcoin to the committee, with contributions from 12 states, including some considered “key battleground regions.”
CNBC found that donors’ occupations ranged from housewives to US military officers, missionaries, painters, sales representatives, and State Department security technicians.
Crypto figures like the Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron, founders of the US-based crypto exchange Gemini, each contributed over $1 million in Bitcoin. At the same time, Mike Belshe, the CEO of digital asset security company BitGo, donated $50,000 in the cryptocurrency.
These contributions reflect the growing support for Trump within the crypto industry, which represents a significant shift from his previous stance during his time in the White House.
Support Behind Trump’s 2024 Bid
Trump’s pivot towards a pro-crypto stance has been gradual. Still, it has gained momentum in recent months with moves such as launching his non-fungible token (NFT) collection on the Solana blockchain in April, which has since made increasingly bullish comments on cryptocurrency.
Furthermore, the former president’s appearance at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, where he will also host a campaign fundraiser, is viewed as a strategic move to solidify his position as the pro-crypto candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
The report noted that the event’s tickets range from $60,000 per person for a photo with Trump to $844,600 per person for a seat at a roundtable with the former president.
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The former president’s support for self-custody of cryptocurrencies, his vow to defend the rights of those who choose to do so, and his pledge to keep Senator Elizabeth Warren and “her goons” away from Bitcoin holders have further endeared him to the crypto community.
Trump’s decision to name Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate has also been viewed as a win for the crypto sector. Vance has advocated for looser regulation of cryptocurrencies and disclosed his holdings of Bitcoin.
At the time of writing, the largest cryptocurrency on the market is struggling to find support at the $65,130 level following a 2% price drop in the early hours of Thursday’s trading session.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
