Crypto
This Week in Web3: Navigating Donald Trump’s Crypto Landscape | PYMNTS.com

The current moment couldn’t be more archetypically “crypto” if it tried.
The industry, coming off a period of four years during which many crypto firms felt unfairly targeted by regulatory bodies like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), now finds itself sitting at the convergence of political advocacy, market enthusiasm and technological innovation.
The price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have soared since Donald Trump was elected president, as the new president has promised a lighter regulatory touch and picked pro-crypto officials for key government positions.
But just as the day appeared to be won for the digital asset space, the new president announced two meme coins, a move that critics — many from among the crypto industry — alleged would distract from and even undermine the legitimization of financial blockchain use cases and other crypto assets such as stablecoins.
“The main thing people are thinking about crypto is, ‘Oh, it’s just a casino for these meme coins,’” said Nic Carter, a Trump supporter and partner at the crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures, per a report. “It does the opposite of validating us, it makes it look completely unserious.”
Read more: The State of the Stablecoin as a Payment Mechanism
Decoding Political Influence on Cryptocurrency Markets
Cryptocurrency’s road to mainstream adoption has often been shaped by policy frameworks and political endorsements. The return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency has introduced a new dynamic to this narrative.
PYMNTS covered Sunday (Jan. 19) that the cryptocurrency industry is hoping the new administration will deliver the clearer regulatory framework the sector has long wished for. It was reported Monday (Jan. 20) that Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, anticipates that Trump will move quickly on new cryptocurrency rules.
Still, Trump’s active participation in the crypto ecosystem, marked by the launch of his meme coins, $TRUMP and $MELANIA, has sparked debates. These tokens soared on inauguration day Monday but faced immediate volatility, plummeting Tuesday (Jan. 21) after the inaugural address omitted bitcoin as well as certain of the campaign promises around cryptocurrency he had made.
Crypto markets expected Trump to mention digital assets during his address, perhaps by discussing his plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve.
At the same time, Trump’s plans to establish a Cryptocurrency Advisory Council remain intact and signal a policy pivot that could shape the regulatory landscape. The SEC has also responded in kind, forming on Tuesday a dedicated crypto task force to address the pressing need for clear and comprehensive regulations.
Read more: 3 Things to Watch as Trump Becomes Memecoin Billionaire and US President
Harmonizing Policy, Innovation and Trust
Institutions are responding to these dynamics by doubling down on crypto-related ventures. For instance, Circle’s Tuesday acquisition of Hashnote, the issuer of the USYC stablecoin, is a strategic move to consolidate its position in the stablecoin market and enhance interoperability between USYC and USDC.
Startups, too, are carving a niche. 1Money’s recent successful $20 million funding round to develop a stablecoin payment network exemplifies the growing appetite for alternative payment solutions that offer both stability and efficiency.
As PYMNTS wrote recently, stablecoins are increasingly seen as a viable payment option, bridging the gap between the crypto world and traditional finance.
Elsewhere, the Web3 development studio FSL has introduced its payment solution GMT Pay. Announced Wednesday (Jan. 22), the tool lets users earn income from the FSL lifestyle app STEPN and then use those earnings to make real-world purchases.
Still, for blockchain to reach its full potential in financial services, PYMNTS covered Tuesday how privacy must be prioritized alongside scalability and interoperability. Balancing these requirements is critical for the technology’s broader adoption, particularly in sectors like banking and payments, where trust is a non-negotiable factor. Financial institutions are rightfully cautious about exposing sensitive data, and the industry must address these concerns head-on.
The interplay between these forces underscores a simple yet powerful truth: the future of payments innovation lies not in isolated advancements but in the ability to harmonize diverse elements into a cohesive and sustainable ecosystem.

Crypto
Donald Trump Reports Nearly $60 Million Income from Cryptocurrency Venture

Former US President Donald Trump has disclosed nearly $60 million in income from his involvement in a cryptocurrency venture, shedding light on how he and his family continue to benefit from the digital asset industry. The Financial Times reported on Friday that Trump’s annual financial disclosure reveals $57.4 million earned through World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency enterprise backed by Trump alongside his sons Donald Jr. and Eric.
The detailed filing, exceeding 200 pages and published by the US Office of Government Ethics, shows Trump holds 15.75 billion governance tokens in WLF, granting him substantial voting rights in the operation. The cryptocurrency venture stands as one of Trump’s largest income sources, alongside revenues from books and real estate investments.
Trump’s financial ties to the crypto sector have drawn increasing scrutiny amid ongoing concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the disclosures.
World Liberty Financial revealed in January that it had successfully sold 21 billion tokens during a public sale, reaching its target of raising $1 billion. Notably, a 2024 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission identified Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as a “promoter” of the WLF project.
Trump’s vocal support for cryptocurrencies has helped drive market enthusiasm, pushing bitcoin prices above $100,000 per coin. Under SEC Chair Paul Atkins, several high-profile crypto-related legal cases have been dropped, further easing regulatory pressure on the industry.
Additionally, Trump has actively promoted his own $TRUMP memecoin via social media and hosted a gala last month honoring its major holders. The Trump family media company recently announced plans to launch an exchange-traded fund (ETF) directly holding bitcoin and revealed intentions to raise $2.5 billion to establish a “bitcoin treasury.”
At a bitcoin conference in Las Vegas last May, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. praised cryptocurrencies as “cheaper,” “faster,” “safer,” and “more transparent” than traditional fiat currencies, signaling the family’s continued commitment to expanding their digital asset footprint.
Crypto
Trump Declared Over $600 Million in Income From Cryptocurrency and Business – Reuters

US President Donald Trump has released his financial statement. According to the document, he received over $600 million in income from cryptocurrencies, golf clubs, licensing and other businesses. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The financial declaration was signed on June 13 and did not contain information about the period it covers. At the same time, some data in the declaration suggest that it was until the end of December 2024, which excludes most of the money raised by the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures.
According to the publication’s calculations, Trump declared assets worth at least $1.6 billion in total.
He previously stated that he had transferred his businesses to a trust managed by his children, but the published data indicate that income from these sources still goes to the president, which has led to accusations of conflicts of interest.
Some of Trump’s businesses in areas such as cryptocurrency are benefiting from changes in US policy under his leadership and have become a source of criticism, Reuters writes.
One meme coin issued by the president earlier this year – $TRUMP brought in approximately $320 million in commissions, although it is not publicly known how this amount was distributed between the Trump-controlled organization and its partners.
The feud between Trump and Musk caused Tesla’s stock to crash, with a market value drop of $150 billion.
06.06.25, 09:15 • 3708 views
In addition to the meme coin commissions, the Trump family earned more than $400 million from World Liberty Financial, a decentralized financial company. In his declarations, Trump indicated $57.35 million from the sale of World Liberty tokens.
The American president’s fortune also includes a significant stake in Trump Media&Technology Group (DJT.O), which owns the Truth Social social network, the report said.
In addition to assets and income from his business projects, Trump declared at least $12 million in income in the form of interest and dividends from passive investments totaling at least $211 million, according to Reuters calculations.
Trump’s three golf resorts in Jupiter, Doral and West Palm Beach, and a private members’ club in Mar-a-Lago, brought Trump at least another $217.7 million in income. Trump National Doral, a large golf center in the Miami area, was the Trump family’s largest source of income – $110.4 million.
Trump also received royalties from various deals – $1.3 million from Greenwood Bible, the “only Bible officially endorsed by Lee Greenwood and President Trump”, and $2.8 million from Trump Watches, $2.5 million from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances.
According to Reuters, the declaration often only indicates ranges of asset and income values, and the lower limit was used for calculations, so the real value of Trump’s assets and income is most likely even higher.
Trump changed his approach to deportations: raids on farms, hotels and restaurants have been stopped – NYT14.06.25, 10:18 • 2808 views
Crypto
Kevin O’Leary Explains Which Cryptocurrency Is a Smarter Bet: Bitcoin or Ethereum
The cryptocurrency market offers hundreds of different investment options, but two of them control most of the action: bitcoin and ethereum. As recently as last year, the combined market cap of both platforms made up more than 70% of the global crypto market, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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Read Next: 13 Cheap Cryptocurrencies With the Highest Potential Upside for You
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So which is a better bet for investors? During a recent interview with CoinDesk, businessman and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary suggested his preference.
Also see five reasons you need at least one bitcoin.
O’Leary shared during the interview that his preference is bitcoin. “If you want exposure to crypto volatility, it’s bitcoin,” O’Leary said. “There’s a lot of people that say, ‘I don’t need anything else … I’ll just buy bitcoin.’ And they haven’t been wrong … I think it’ll be very hard to dethrone it.”
As for ethereum, O’Leary spent much of his time bemoaning its lack of speed and efficiency.
“Goodness, ETH is slow,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s slow, and I think a lot of people know that. And the more transactions get piled on it, it doesn’t get any better.”
Learn More: Coinbase Fees: Full Breakdown of How To Minimize Costs
O’Leary has plenty of company in backing bitcoin over ethereum.
Part of bitcoin’s allure is that it has become a dominant crypto force in both size and name recognition. It has grown so big that it recently leapfrogged Google parent Alphabet to rank as world’s sixth-largest asset by market cap, The Market Periodical reported.
From a pure investment standpoint, bitcoin has definitely been the better bet recently. Its price is up about 12% in 2025 as of June 13 and has gained about 56% over the past year. In contrast, ethereum’s price is down about 23% in 2025 and has lost more than 27% over the past year.
If you’re new to crypto, it’s important to understand the differences between bitcoin and ethereum, because it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
As U.S. News reported, bitcoin’s network uses a proof-of-work verification system. Ethereum, on the other hand, uses a proof-of-stake system, which U.S. News called “less energy-intensive.” Additionally, the main purpose of bitcoin is to serve as a digital currency that’s an alternative to other currencies, while ethereum is a platform that runs smart contracts, U.S. News explained.
According to VanEck, a New York-based investment management firm, both bitcoin and ethereum have seen their prices fluctuate significantly over the years. Despite that, VanEck noted that bitcoin has been the outperformer, remaining more stable than ethereum.
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