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Last week, Trump became the first major-party candidate to speak at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville. He joins RFK, who first spoke at the conference last year in Miami and returned as a speaker in 2024.

Trump announced in May that his campaign would start accepting crypto donations, and has raised $4 million through digital assets, a small percentage of the over $200 million he has raised in total.

Following his speech, Trump held a fundraiser where he reportedly raised $21 million. He had sold seats to a private meeting at $800,000 per pop . His speech represented a change from his previous positions towards crypto. He promised that under his administration the U.S. would not sell any of its bitcoin reserves. Bitcoiners and crypto enthusiasts are also encouraged by the fact that his VP pick, J.D. Vance has publicly disclosed ownership of at least $100,000 in bitcoin in 2022.

Trump is not the only presidential candidate to embrace bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Before the Bitcoin Conference, reports came out that Kamala Harris was interested in speaking at the event as well. Her campaign aides and senior Democrats have also reportedly met with industry leaders to try and reset the relationship between the Democratic party and the industry .

Democrats still remain split on the issue. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has been a longtime critic of cryptocurrencies and their use in illegal activities, criticized a recent bill that would undo much of the SEC’s guidance surrounding cryptocurrencies. 32 democrats voted with republicans, who incorporated supporting crypto as an official part of the party platform earlier this year, to send this bill to Biden’s desk.

This is the first time Congress has voted on a stand alone crypto bill, allowing legislators to officially come out in favor or against the space. Due to the opposition of many democrats, industry leaders remain skeptical about Harris’ ability to sway opinions in favor of crypto.