Crypto news to know
Crypto summit: Sentiment positive, details limited
The highly anticipated White House crypto summit, hosted by President Trump and David Sacks, brought together key industry leaders and policymakers to discuss the future of crypto and blockchain regulations.
The event provided a platform for attendees such as Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Strategy's (NASDAQ:MSTR) Michael Saylor, and Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov to share their insights and offer feedback on the industry's needs.
The summit was expected to primarily focus on strengthening US leadership in the digital asset industry and fostering an environment that promotes innovation while ensuring appropriate regulatory oversight.
Industry watchers were also hoping for clarity on the executive order (EO) issued on Thursday evening establishing a Bitcoin reserve and digital asset stockpile.
Although US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would discuss the next steps for possibly acquiring more Bitcoin during a CNBC Squawk Box interview on Friday morning, the government's announcement that it did not intend to purchase more Bitcoin resulted in a subdued market response.
Crypto assets pulled back further after a senior White House official stated that Trump’s mention of ADA, XRP, SOL, Bitcoin, and Ether as examples of cryptocurrencies included in a strategic reserve should not be overinterpreted.
Market experts had mixed reactions. Some experts called the EO a symbolic move, while others hailed it as a turning point in the market’s development.
Dick Lo, CEO of TDX Strategies, said “Initial disappointment as the market had built up high expectations leading up to the announcement. However, the news is (unambiguously) positive: It would have been unrealistic to expect new buying without a plan on how it would be funded. An important distinction has been made between Bitcoin and the rest of crypto, i.e. not a single dollar will be spent buying altcoins.”
The summit wrapped up with positive sentiments toward Trump's leadership and the joint effort to advance the digital asset industry, though it didn't introduce many new details. Trump shared his desire to see legislation enacted before the August break and offered congratulations to attendees.
Texas Senate passes Bitcoin strategic reserve bill
The Texas Senate voted to pass Bitcoin strategic reserve bill SB-21 in a 25-5 vote on Thursday after a fierce debate between Texas State Senator Charles Schwertner, who introduced the legislation, and Democratic Senator Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio.
Gutierrez raised concerns about Bitcoin's volatility and the potential risks associated with allocating state funds to cryptocurrency.
“When the economy is down, Bitcoin is down, and the fluctuations on this stuff is insanity,” he said. “We have so many real concerns in this state, and so many of our citizens that're asking for real help, and the last thing that we need to do is go benefit some techno bro.”
Schwertner argued that a crypto reserve would allow Texas to diversify its investment approach and “participate competitively in the evolving digital, financial economy.”
“We don’t have stacks of dollar bills and safes like we did in medieval times. What we have is digital currency,” he told the floor.
The proposed legislation would authorize the state comptroller to purchase, hold and manage Bitcoin and other digital assets as a hedge against inflation and economic volatility. Funding would come from legislative appropriations and private donations. A committee would also be established to advise the comptroller on cryptocurrency investments, making Texas the first US state to create a cryptocurrency reserve if the bill is signed into law.
Trump memecoin generates US$350 million in revenue
Analysis by the Financial Times revealed that Trump’s cryptocurrency project has generated at least US$350 million in revenue from the launch of the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin, with roughly US$314 million from token sales and US$36 million from fees on the Solana blockchain.
Following the launch of the Trump memecoin, Trump-linked accounts reportedly sold 100 million Trump tokens at a price below US$1.05. The analysis suggests that after withdrawing the initial USDC earnings, Trump wallets reinvested US$291 million in USDC into another liquidity pool, perhaps to support the market.
The report also highlighted that these Trump-linked wallets sent approximately 14.7 million Trump tokens to 10 different exchanges, including major platforms such as Binance, Bybit and Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN). While the exact extent of the financial gains from these transactions remains unclear, the analysis indicates that these other transactions may have generated additional profits.
The Financial Times also found that the Trump accounts spent US$1 million on their own tokens at US$33.20 on January 19 and January 20 to stabilize the price amid the TRUMP decline following the launch of Melania Trump’s MELANIA memecoin. The report determined that the 831 million TRUMP tokens still held by Trump-affiliated accounts are estimated to have a notional value of US$10.8 billion.
The memecoin’s official website, Gettrumpmemes.com, states that The Trump Organization-affiliated CIC Digital and Delaware-based Fight Fight Fight collectively own 80 percent of the tokens; however, Trump’s profits are not known.
View original content: https://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2021/18/c2470.html 
