On January 23, United States President Donald Trump signed his first executive order addressing cryptocurrency, which set up a Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
This group will focus on shaping policies for the crypto industry and examining the possibility of a federal reserve for digital assets—a concept Trump discussed during his campaign.
The executive order, titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology”, outlines the group’s tasks, including exploring a potential “strategic national digital assets stockpile”.
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While this aligns with Trump’s campaign discussions about a Bitcoin reserve, the document does not explicitly reference Bitcoin
The order also prohibits federal agencies from creating central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), often called “digital dollars”. These government-controlled digital currencies have faced criticism from Republicans, who argue they could threaten individual privacy.
Additionally, the directive emphasizes protecting the rights of Americans to use, store, and mine cryptocurrency, as well as to operate blockchain networks and develop related software.
The Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, led by venture capitalist David Sacks, will advise Trump on key crypto-related decisions. Sacks has been named the White House’s first “AI and crypto czar”.
Bo Hines, a former Republican congressional candidate, will manage the group’s daily operations. Other members include heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Treasury Secretary, and leaders from various federal departments.
Meanwhile, the SEC recently introduced a new task force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, also known as "Crypto Mom". What are the task force's goals? Read the full story.
