Although Bitcoin won’t be on the ballot this Election Day, it’s hard to deny the hold digital assets have on American politics this election cycle.

From U.S. Congress members’ public powwows with crypto industry leaders to Trump’s DeFi project launch to both presidential candidates’ promises to support new regulations for the digital asset industry , crypto has dominated mainstream media headlines and echoed across social media platforms.

Here’s a look at the crypto industry’s biggest milestones ahead of Election Day on Tuesday.

Trump NFT Mar-a-Lago event

Donald Trump drew cheers from a pro-crypto crowd in May for promising to keep digital asset companies in the United States. during an event for its latest NFT collection at Mar-a-Lago.

The former president’s vow to protect America’s booming crypto industry came in response to a question from an NFT builder from the prominent DeGods project, sporting a pair of Pit Viper sunglasses during the evening.

The memorized moment caught fire on social media, reinforcing positive feelings about the future of U.S. crypto regulation and policy among some crypto enthusiasts. Despite the silliness of the moment, some hailed it as a turning point for crypto in politics.

Republicans place Bitcoin in party platform

The GOP rallied behind Donald Trump’s cryptographic pivot in early July, pledging to “defend the right to mine Bitcoin” and the self-custody of cryptocurrencies. in his party program.

The Republican National Committee’s manifesto also expresses broader support for digital asset companies, promising to end an “unlawful and un-American crackdown” on the US crypto industry.

Trump and RFK Jr. talk Bitcoin at BTC Nashville

Donald Trump promised to create a strategic stockpile of Bitcoin for the US Federal Reserve if he is elected, during a speech at BTC Nashville on July 27. He also vowed to fire Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler and put pro-crypto regulators in power.

Meanwhile, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) offered a more nuanced and detailed plan to promote Bitcoin during a separate event at the same conference. However, RFK ultimately suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Trump.

World Liberty Financial reveals

The Trump Organization revealed in August that it would be embarking on another crypto-related venture.

Details of the company, a DeFi platform called World Liberty Financial (formerly The DeFiant Ones), remained largely unclear at the time. However, Trump promised that the plan would free the “average American” from “big banks and financial elites” in an article on Truth Social.

The announcement sparked excitement among Crypto Twitter users, but it also sparked questions about potential conflicts of interest posed by Trump’s growing entanglement with the crypto industry ahead of his potential re-election.

Asset shared more details about the project in a September live-streamed interview with Rug Radio, Decryptsister company of and organized a symbolic sale in October which saw average demand.

Decrypt also reported in October that World Liberty Financial planned to issue your own stablecoinciting sources close to his projects.

Crypto4Harris Roundtable

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pledged to pass legislation establishing clear regulatory guardrails for the crypto industry in the United States during a grassroots meeting. Digital town hall meeting for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in August.

The 90-minute Crypto4Harris livestream featured several Democratic US Congressmen, such as Wiley Nickel, a host of key crypto industry players, and billionaire investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban. The event marked one of the first public displays of solidarity between US Democrats and digital asset companies.

Symbolic Trump speculation – and scams

In August, crypto holders expressed excitement over the Trump family’s plans to roll out a DeFi platform called the World Liberty Project. But their enthusiasm waned when WLF encountered the biggest scourge in the world of decentralized finance– scammers.

In early September, scammers created several fake pages for the long-awaited project. The links were promoted on the social media accounts of several Trump family members, which appeared to have been hacked.

The confusion led some potential WLF investors to click on malicious links and lose their crypto holdings. The scams spoiled the launch of the DeFi project, which saw poor participation and token sales.

Further complicating matters have been conflicting claims about whether the DJT token was ultimately an “official” Trump coin created with the help of Donald’s son Barron Trump. as claimed by “PharmaBro” Martin Shkreli. This has never been proven, however, and former Trump ally Roger Stone has stated that it was not a legitimate Trump project.

Trump buys hamburgers with Bitcoin in New York

Asset bought a round of burgers with Bitcoin in September at PubKey, a BTC-themed bar in Manhattan. The campaign stunt came several months after the Republican candidate spoke at Bitcoin Nashville.

In video clips shared from the bar, he used a smartphone to make the purchase using Bitcoin. He then proceeded to call them “crypto-burgers” This is a potential misstep, as Bitcoiners have attempted to correct it, but none of the die-hard BTC fans seem to blame it.

Harris finally mentions blockchain

Vice President Kamala Harris broke his silence on crypto at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh in September, surprising his supporters and detractors.

The Democratic presidential candidate said in a speech that her administration would fight to help the United States “remain dominant in AI and quantum computing, blockchain and other emerging technologies.”

The public comments came about a week after Harris reportedly spoke about digital assets with donors at a fundraising event for her campaign.

His recognition of the crypto industry also came shortly after the vice president’s senior campaign policy adviser said at the Democratic National Convention that the Harris administration would support emerging technologies.

Harris reveals regulatory plans aimed at black men

Harris’ campaign made waves on social media by promising to champion new regulations on digital assets in the United States as part of her campaign. official strategy to target black voters.

In a platform called “Kamala Harris Will Deliver for Black Men,” the Harris campaign said she would support “a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets so that Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected.” .

The platform has been met with a mix of derision and praise on social media, with some Crypto Twitter users criticizing the campaign’s use of identity politics.

Other critics have questioned the platform’s decision to target Black men, raising questions about the extent to which Black voters care about crypto as an election issue. The campaign ultimately clarified that such projects would be pursued without any specific race-related limitations.

Edited by Sébastien Sinclair And Andrew Hayward