The Blubber

Analyst: Don’t Expect Many Details from Crypto Summit

March 8, 2025 | 12:24 PM PST

Michelle Conlin

Aurelie Barthere, Principal Research Analyst at blockchain analytics firm Nansen, cautioned that the White House Crypto Summit might not reveal much beyond what has already been published.

“We won’t learn much more about the Bitcoin reserve than what’s in the White House fact sheet,” she said.

However, Barthere noted one bullish takeaway for Bitcoin:
"The Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin."

How Much Bitcoin Does the U.S. Own?

March 8, 2025 | 12:16 PM PST

Nandita Bose and Jasper Ward

The U.S. government’s Bitcoin holdings remain unclear.

According to White House crypto czar David Sacks, the U.S. owns around 200,000 Bitcoin, though he admitted there has never been a full audit.

Sacks also claimed that premature Bitcoin sales have cost American taxpayers $17 billion—but did not explain how he arrived at that figure.

What to Watch for at the Crypto Summit

March 8, 2025 | 12:05 PM PST

Michelle Conlin and Suzanne McGee

Investors, traders, industry experts, and journalists are all looking for key takeaways from Friday’s White House Crypto Summit.

Here’s what they hope to learn:

• Exchange-traded fund (ETF) regulation updates from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
• Guidelines for banks on managing crypto assets
• More details on the strategic Bitcoin reserve
• Clarification on the government’s “crypto stockpile”
• Potential tax advantages for cryptocurrency holders

Trump’s Five Cryptocurrencies for U.S. Reserve

March 8, 2025 | 11:54 AM PST

Elizabeth Howcroft

On Sunday, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that his executive order on digital assets would establish a crypto stockpile including XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA). The move surprised traders and sent the prices of these lesser-known tokens soaring.

Trump confirmed that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH)—the two largest cryptocurrencies—would also be part of the reserve.

Here’s a breakdown of the five tokens in Trump’s proposed reserve:

• Bitcoin (BTC) – The first and largest cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
• Ether (ETH) – Launched in 2013-2014 by Vitalik Buterin and others, Ether powers the Ethereum blockchain, a leader in decentralized finance (DeFi).
• Ripple (XRP) – A crypto asset designed for fast, low-cost global payments. Created by Ripple Labs, a company that has been heavily involved in crypto lobbying, donating $45 million to influence U.S. elections in favor of the industry.
• Solana (SOL) – The native token of the Solana blockchain, known for meme coin launches—including Trump’s own cryptocurrency, which debuted in January.
• Cardano (ADA) – A blockchain created in 2015 by Charles Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum.

Trump’s crypto-friendly policies have energized the industry, but critics remain skeptical about the administration’s long-term strategy.