U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the Digital Asset Summit in New York on Thursday, just days after the White House expressed interest in accumulating Bitcoin.
President Trump will make his remarks at the Digital Asset Summit in New York City on Thursday, March 20, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first sitting U.S. president to address a cryptocurrency industry event. According to a press announcement, his speech is set for 10:40 a.m. ET at the North Javits Center and comes amid heightened discussions regarding the U.S. government’s potential engagement with Bitcoin (BTC).
“It’s about time our president started building assets for the American people, which is precisely what President Trump is doing instead of diminishing them. I get asked frequently, how much do you want, right? I mean, as much as possible.”
Bo Hines, executive director of the White House’s Council of Advisors on Digital Assets
The government’s position on Bitcoin seems to be shifting, though specifics are still somewhat vague. Recently, Trump signed an executive order to establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Lawmakers such as Senator Cynthia Lummis and Congressman Nick Begich have also put forth proposals for the U.S. government to acquire as much as 1 million BTC over the next five years.
Trump has already enacted an executive order to create the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which will be financed using Bitcoin confiscated by the federal government through asset forfeiture, meaning there will be no cost to taxpayers.
White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks mentioned that the U.S. government currently holds approximately 200,000 BTC, although a comprehensive audit has not yet been performed. The executive order requires a full accounting of federal digital asset holdings and bans the sale of Bitcoin in the reserve, drawing a comparison to a “digital Fort Knox.”
In addition to Trump, the summit will feature key speakers such as Michael Saylor of Strategy and Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, who will address topics on spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and institutional adoption.