Where Is Crypto Going Next

Since 2010, crypto has been looking for a home across the globe. Last month I wrote about the Rise of Crypto and America's Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Both posts were written at pivotal points in recent history.

You see, crypto has been banned from many countries for multiple reasons. Sometimes it is related to illicit trade, scams or regulatory uncertainty. Several government's couldn't pinpoint the exact problem so they banned crypto entirely for a decade.

However, the industry has made significant progress in the past year. Momentum shifted when President Trump first spoke at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville in 2024. His speech covered a wide variety of topics that ranged from the U.S. economy to inflation.

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But the most momentous occasion was when Trump announced he would fire SEC Chair, Gary Gensler. Trump received a standing ovation, twice. That one moment shifted the crypto economy. Crypto is back.

NYC is the Crypto Capital

Two years ago I attended Permissionless by Blockworks and Bankless in Florida. Both of these media companies have done a wonderful job educating investors about crypto for the past several years.

And this week, Blockworks is hosting their Digital Asset Summit in New York and President Trump is expected to speak again. After his speech, America and New York will solidify their position in crypto.

Fintech will offer Crypto

For years, the crypto industry was banned from working with the financial services industry onshore in America. Regulators like the SEC and CFPB were unbanking founders and employees across the crypto industry. It was a shadow ban with no trial process. Crypto was founded to give everyone property rights on the internet and the U.S. was actively working against the ethos.

But now that the New Administration has brought on David Sacks and other tech-focused executives, we are seeing a new light within the industry.

In fact, today I've seen two crypto major announcements today:

• ​Kraken will acquire NinjaTrader: This is an expansive shift as crypto futures have become legal in the U.S. It's a $1 billion acquisition that combines tradefi and crypto at an important junction.
• ​Coinbase Ethereum Validator Report: Coinbase has become one of the largest validators for Ethereum (ETH). After Bitcoin, ETH will become the next largest asset in every institutional crypto fund. Coinbase will educate investors about the ecosystem.

All of these announcements are small in terms of the financial markets, but massive when it comes to crypto. The industry was previously living in the shadows but now investors see the light.