Trump’s White House crypto summit could be a turning point for U.S. policy, experts say
The upcoming White House crypto summit hosted by President Donald Trump is being closely watched by industry leaders, as it has the potential to reshape U.S. digital asset policy and address years of regulatory turmoil.
"The U.S. needs to signal it's open for business,” Rushi Manche, co-founder of Movement Labs, told TheStreet Crypto. “That means tax incentives for builders, regulatory clarity for projects, and paths to compliance that don't involve multi-year legal battles with regulators."
After protracted lawsuits with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the industry is hoping for regulatory clarity to foster domestic business growth and job creation, it says.
"Regulatory clarity is the single biggest lever the U.S. can pull to retain top-tier blockchain talent,” said Sid Powell, CEO of the blockchain institutional capital marketplace Maple. “A pragmatic approach would recognize that well-structured regulatory frameworks enhance, rather than hinder, innovation."
Saga CEO Rebecca Liao, who advised the Clinton and Biden presidential campaigns on tech, agreed. "There needs to be clear regulatory action for projects to change their current strategies to really open the U.S. market," she said.
However, she noted that Congress will be crucial in advancing pro-crypto legislation. “Most of the policy wins crypto has been celebrating — including a strategic reserve and potential tax relief — are not the purview of the president,” she said.
The industry has a limited, two-year window with support in Congress to establish rules that could shape U.S. crypto leadership for years to come, added Les Borsai, co-founder of Wave Digital Assets and an advisor to state and federal governments on crypto.
Friday's White House Crypto summit is expected to be an exclusive affair, limited to the industry's top leaders. This includes Strategy chairman Michael Saylor, BTC Inc. CEO David Bailey, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang, Exodus CEO JP Richardson, and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi, among others.
Some crypto experts predict that Trump's recent reference to a U.S. crypto reserve will help drive conversations in that direction. “That will be the top priority at the event, in my view,” Syscoin Foundation President Jagdeep Sidhu told TheStreet Crypto. "It's clear the administration favors including a more diverse set of asset classes, but I suspect they will be forced to defend that position during the summit, as many industry leaders have questioned the decision to include altcoins like XRP, ADA, and SOL."
Stablecoin oversight also remains a critical focus. Autonomys CEO Todd Ruoff suggested the summit might take cues from international models: "Drawing from recent examples such as Hong Kong's licensing system and the European Union's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) rules, we may see U.S. policymakers push for clear reserve requirements, greater transparency, and strong consumer protections," Ruoff said.
The summit will be chaired by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, although it’s still unclear how much AI (artificial intelligence) will feature in the discussions.
“David Sacks’ role as chair is pivotal,” Ruoff told TheStreet Crypto. “If he champions crypto as a core engine of financial innovation, we can expect him to push for clear, risk-based oversight that protects consumers without stifling creativity."
“Given Sacks' background, he may steer the conversation toward AI's role in fraud detection, compliance automation, and risk management in crypto markets," added Powell. "There's also the broader question of how AI-driven financial systems interact with decentralized finance.”
Overall, experts noted that the U.S. now has an opportunity to drive growth in the domestic crypto industry after years of being overlooked. "This administration's approach to crypto represents the most significant policy shift we've seen in decades — they're treating digital assets as strategic infrastructure rather than just an asset class," Borsai said.
“The U.S. has an opportunity to set standards that enable responsible growth, rather than following reactionary policies that push business abroad," added Powell. "The key is ensuring that consumer protections — like transparency, risk disclosures, and custody safeguards — are implemented without suffocating the industry with unnecessary bureaucracy.”