JD Vance Declares Crypto a Core Pillar of U.S. Economic Strategy at Bitcoin 2025

LAS VEGAS — In a bold and unapologetic address at Bitcoin 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told a roaring crowd of crypto enthusiasts that “crypto finally has a champion in the White House.” Speaking from the stage of the Venetian in Las Vegas, Vance reaffirmed the Trump administration’s full-throttle embrace of digital assets, from stablecoins to decentralized finance, and doubled down on efforts to integrate crypto into the core of the American economy.

The vice president’s keynote speech comes as the GENIUS Act, a Republican-backed bill aimed at regulating stablecoins, gains momentum in the Senate. Vance confidently stated, “We do not think that stablecoins threaten the integrity of the U.S. dollar — quite the opposite. We view them as a force multiplier of our economic might.” According to him, enacting the GENIUS Act would not only stabilize the industry but also unleash trillions in demand for U.S. Treasuries.

Vance, a longtime crypto advocate who owns a reported $250,000–$500,000 in Bitcoin, said the administration’s goal is to push digital assets into the mainstream. “Crypto is a hedge against bad policymaking,” he declared, citing inflation and politically motivated financial discrimination as key concerns for everyday Americans.

While steering clear of directly addressing ethical criticisms related to President Trump’s personal crypto investments — including a Trump-branded meme coin and a family-linked stablecoin — Vance maintained the administration’s focus was squarely on innovation and economic strength. He joked about the crypto community’s enthusiasm but made it clear that real policy was being shaped: “I’m not just here to juice my own meme coins,” he quipped.

In a sweeping deregulation push, the administration has rolled back numerous Biden-era policies. The Department of Labor recently reversed 2022 guidance discouraging crypto in retirement plans, while key financial regulators like the FDIC and OCC are easing restrictions. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said plainly, “Fiduciaries, not bureaucrats, should decide what belongs in a 401(k).”

The vice president also took aim at former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, once a formidable regulatory voice against crypto. “We fired Gary Gensler — and we’re going to fire everyone like him,” Vance said to roaring applause.

While the GENIUS Act cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate with support from 15 Democrats, it faces a more complex road in the House. Some Democrats have demanded guardrails that would prevent elected officials from trading crypto assets while in office, a direct nod to President Trump’s growing crypto empire, estimated to hold $2.9 billion in value, including new ventures in Bitcoin mining and a Trump-linked exchange.

The conference, which attracted an estimated 35,000 attendees, was peppered with appearances by Trump allies, including sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, who are deeply entrenched in crypto projects. Meanwhile, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev welcomed the administration’s approach, saying, “You’re allowed to play offense now… finally, an administration that is open to the technology.”

Vance closed his speech with a rallying cry: “Unless you guys get involved in politics, politics will ignore this industry.” With 2026 looming and the Trump-Vance administration reshaping America’s financial future, crypto’s political moment has clearly arrived.