Share this article

Absence of Trump Crypto Order Amps Industry Tension as He Fails to Mention in Speech

Trump spoke at length about AI but not crypto in World Economic Forum speech, but the president has an executive-order signing session scheduled.

Jan 23, 2025, 5:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump signs executive orders
The crypto industry is awaiting President Donald Trump 's signature on a pro-digital assets executive order. (Getty Images)

What to know:

  • President Donald Trump has promised action on crypto, but his rash of executive orders hasn't yet produced the expected movement on digital assets policy.
  • He mentioned crypto very briefly at a World Economic Forum address on Thursday, but he focused more on artificial intelligence initiatives.
  • The White House has a session scheduled for the signing of more executive orders on Thursday afternoon.

The crypto industry is desperate to see crypto action from U.S. President Donald Trump, now a few days into his new presidency, but there hasn't yet been a confirmation from the White House that an executive order is pending.

It's not entirely off of Trump's radar, though, because he did mention the crypto industry in his address on Thursday to the World Economic Forum, saying that an increase in domestic oil and gas production will secure U.S. manufacturing dominance and make it "the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today. See all newsletters

Still, he spent much more of the speech talking about U.S. AI commitments and didn't mention digital assets again.

The sector will likely be watching closely at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, when Trump is again scheduled to sign executive orders. The White House has already issued an extensive array of such orders. While they don't carry the weight of law, such directives can steer the federal government's priorities.

Trump is also scheduled to speak with crypto-friendly El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at 3:30 p.m., news which sparked another rally in Bitcoin's price.

In other corners of the federal government, the Senate Banking Committee established its first digital assets subcommittee on Thursday, with Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis running it alongside other crypto-friendly lawmakers. And the Securities and Exchange Commission, newly led by Republican Mark Uyeda, announced a crypto task force this week.

More For You

State of the Blockchain 2025

State of the Blockchain 16:9

L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.

What to know:

2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.

This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.

More For You

Russia’s central bank unveils new crypto rules to be adopted in 2026

russia central bank

Bank of Russia outlined a new framework intended to let retail and qualified investors buy crypto under defined tests and caps by 2027.

What to know:

  • Russia's central bank has proposed a framework to legalize and regulate cryptocurrency trading for individuals and institutions.
  • The proposal allows ordinary citizens to buy and sell cryptocurrencies through regulated platforms, with limits for nonqualified investors.
  • The framework supports broader use of Russian-issued digital financial assets and permits crypto purchases abroad with mandatory tax reporting.