US Vice President JD Vance is set to address the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, approximately a year following then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s appearance at the same gathering.
As per a notice from the conference organizers dated May 9, Vance will speak to attendees in person on May 28, making him the first serving US vice president to address a digital asset conference.
Trump delivered a pre-recorded video message from the White House to the organizers of the Digital Asset Summit in March—his initial participation at a crypto event since assuming office in January—and engaged in-person at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville during his campaign.
While Vance is a Bitcoin (BTC) holder, with holdings worth between $250,000 and $500,001, as disclosed in a financial statement from August 2024, it remains uncertain if the vice president plans to deliver a significant policy address at the conference. Cointelegraph reached out to Vance’s office for input but had not received a reply by the time of publication.
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Since commencing office alongside Trump in January, Vance has primarily avoided the media spotlight regarding crypto-related policy. The president has authorized executive orders focused on creating a crypto reserve and managing stablecoins, whereas Vance’s role in overseeing the sector appears to have been confined to discussions on AI regulation.
Two of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who are linked to the crypto platform World Liberty Financial, were also slated to present at the May event. Numerous lawmakers have voiced concerns that the platform, which receives backing from the Trump family, is utilized for the personal gain of the president.
Are Trump’s connections to crypto impeding legislation?
The vice president’s participation at the crypto conference was revealed in the same week that Democratic lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and the Senate fervently criticized Trump’s affiliations with the crypto sector.
In the House, Representative Maxine Waters suspended a joint hearing regarding a crypto market structure bill and led a coalition of lawmakers to investigate “Trump’s crypto corruption.” In the Senate, nine Democrats prevented a vital vote on a stablecoin bill, stating that the legislation lacked specific protections, suggesting that the Trump family might be benefiting through the USD1 stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial.
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