Coinbase CEO: “Trump is Forcing Everyone to Up Their Game” The chief executive of Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, said the crypto agenda of US President Donald Trump was the prime mover of conversation at this year’s WEF in Davos. Most of Armstrong’s conversations with financial leaders centered on what the administration was planning for digital assets, he said. “Every single conversation I had with any major market player was about the Trump Administration’s crypto plans,” Armstrong said in a Jan. 24 X post. One of the first public speeches that Trump gave as President was a promise to make the US the “world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.” The bold statement only created more interest, and it cemented crypto’s place in the future of finance. Crypto Leaders and Institutions React Armstrong said that competition among the crypto companies is getting more heated as they race to stay ahead. “There’s going to be more players, more competition than ever in crypto, and we welcome it,” he said. Financial institutions such as banks and asset managers are accelerating investments in digital assets amid the rapidly changing landscape. Meanwhile, traditional finance heads showed cautious optimism. Goldman Sachs’ CEO David Solomon acknowledged that there could be “real potential,” yet regulatory constriction was huge. “We can’t own or be involved with Bitcoin due to regulations,” was his words that generally reflected that of the whole banking sector. Speculation Around Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Armstrong also referred to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve reportedly to be created by Trump, part of the national digital assets stockpile. Trump’s executive order to study digital assets, considering how much more BTC-focused many Bitcoin proponents had hoped it would be, shows his interest in the space more generally. The development has led to speculation that other cryptocurrencies might be involved, reflecting a strategic effort to incorporate blockchain technology into national economic policies. A Global Shift to Free Markets Armstrong also praised world leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, trumpeting their pro-market stance as drivers for prosperity. He added that “socialism is on its way out,” signaling a wider shift in global economic ideologies. As the blending of political and economic ambitions continues to build momentum, this could shape up to be an era of unprecedented change in the financial world-and Trump’s crypto vision may very well lead the charge.
