Prominent figures in the cryptocurrency industry are set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday to deliberate on his administration’s crypto policies, including the creation of a strategic reserve of digital assets.
Executives expected to attend include Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, and Zach Witkoff, co-founder of Trump’s own crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood Markets, will also be present, according to a Robinhood spokeswoman. While Saylor and Witkoff have not publicly commented, industry insiders anticipate the meeting will focus on advancing Trump’s plan to position the U.S. as a global crypto hub.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury and Commerce Departments to develop budget-neutral strategies for expanding the strategic bitcoin reserve without imposing additional costs on taxpayers. The reserve will be built using bitcoin seized by the federal government through criminal and civil asset forfeiture cases, according to White House crypto czar David Sacks.
The summit, scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET (1830 GMT), was announced by the White House last Friday. However, officials have not disclosed further details on the meeting’s agenda, the full list of attendees, or the possibility of additional executive actions.
While Trump’s proposal has garnered support, some industry leaders remain skeptical about the inclusion of four other cryptocurrencies in the reserve. JP Richardson, co-founder and CEO of Exodus, expressed concerns over their volatility, arguing that a bitcoin-only reserve would be more stable. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong echoed similar sentiments, calling a bitcoin-exclusive reserve “probably the best option” in a social media post.
On the other hand, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse welcomed Trump’s acknowledgment of a “multichain world” and supported the inclusion of XRP, the cryptocurrency tied to Ripple, in the proposed reserve.
Regulatory clarity is another key concern for industry stakeholders. Experts believe the summit could provide insights into how the administration plans to regulate digital assets, particularly regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of crypto-related exchange-traded funds.
Trump’s personal involvement in the crypto sector—through meme coins launched by his family and his stake in World Liberty Financial—has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. His aides have stated that he has relinquished control of his business ventures, which are currently under external ethics review. The White House has not commented on the matter.
