A recent assassination attempt did not deter Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from taking the stage at Bitcoin 2024, the biggest event on the crypto calendar, this Saturday.
Previously a vehement crypto-sceptic, Trump has since attempted to garner the virtual currency vote by espousing a litany of pro-bitcoin policies.
Speaking at the Kentucky event, Trump laid out his plan “to ensure that the United States will be the crypto capital of the planet and the bitcoin superpower of the world”.
If elected, Trump will move to create a government-owned bitcoin stockpile while promising to reverse the rival Democrat Party’s “anti-crypto crusade”.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s repression of crypto and bitcoin is wrong and it’s very bad for our country,” Trump remarked. “If they win this election, every one of you will be gone. They will be vicious. They will be ruthless. They will do things that you wouldn’t believe.”
Instead, Trump will install a ‘bitcoin and crypto presidential advisory council’.
It’s a vastly different tone from comments made in 2021 when Trump said bitcoin "just seems like a scam… I don't like it because it's another currency competing against the dollar”.
Just three years later and “bitcoin stands for freedom, sovereignty and independence from government coercion and control”, Trump declared.
Trump also vowed to fire Gary Gensler, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), if he takes office.
Gensler is a devout crypto sceptic, despite the SEC recently approving spot-bitcoin and spot-ether exchange-traded funds this year.
Bitcoin shot up 2.4% when markets spurred into action on Monday, bringing the BTC/USD pair to a six-week high of $69,820.