In January 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in for his second presidential term and immediately launched a financial policy revolution that shocked the world. In stark contrast to his first term's skeptical attitude towards cryptocurrencies, the Trump 2.0 government swiftly introduced a series of policies such as "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve," "Crypto Currency Tsar," and "Stablecoin Federal Legislation," completely reversing the United States' stance on digital assets. This historic turn not only triggered a single-day Bitcoin price surge to $106,000 but also profoundly influenced ordinary people's wallets, corporate strategic layouts, and the global redistribution of financial power.
The European Central Bank warned that this was "planting seeds of financial instability for the future," while pioneers like El Salvador have begun adjusting their national Bitcoin strategies. In this transformation, how can investors avoid becoming sacrificial victims of policy experiments? How will ordinary people's payment habits be reshaped? This article reveals the strategic game and real-world impacts behind Trump's new crypto policies through market data and authoritative analysis.
I. Policy Blitzkrieg: From "Bitcoin is a Scam" to National Strategic Reserve
(Core Data: 200,000 BTC incorporated into permanent US reserves, representing 6% of circulation)
1.1 Trump's "Crypto Awakening" Journey
The Trump administration's attitude towards cryptocurrencies underwent a dramatic transformation. During his first term (2017-2021), Trump publicly criticized BTC as a "scam," claiming cryptocurrencies were "highly unstable and baseless," and supported the SEC's harsh crackdown on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). However, from 2022, Trump's attitude subtly changed. In December that year, he issued a "Trump Digital Trading Card" Non-Fungible Token series, selling out within 24 hours and generating approximately $4.5 million in revenue, which allowed him to personally experience the potential of the crypto economy. By the 2024 campaign, Trump had fully embraced the crypto industry, not only accepting crypto donations but also promising at the "Bitcoin 2024 Conference" to list BTC as a US strategic reserve asset and vowing to make the US the "global cryptocurrency capital."
- BTC as a policy focus and the core asset of the "digital gold" narrative, has shown relatively stable performance overall. From Trump's election to March 2025, BTC price has cumulatively increased by approximately 50%, despite significant volatility. Analysts generally believe that BTC, as the most likely crypto asset to be included in national reserves, has strengthened its long-term value storage positioning.
- ETH has become an unexpected winner of policy shifts. Trump's executive order on January 23rd expanded national reserve targets from BTC to the entire digital asset domain, which constitutes a major positive for ETH. The market noted that the US government holds 53,900 ETH, and the Trump family's WLFI has repeatedly bought ETH, with its portfolio allocation reaching 72%. These signs are interpreted as ETH potentially becoming the second crypto asset to be included in national reserves after BTC.
- Meme Coins have received regulatory "green light". On February 27, 2025, SEC corporate finance staff issued a statement clarifying that meme coins typically do not constitute "securities" under US federal securities law, and participants in their issuance and sale need not register with the SEC. This decision triggered a meme coin market frenzy, with Trump's own "TRUMP coin" surging 73% to $46.06 in Asian trading sessions, reaching a market cap of about $9.2 billion and a 24-hour trading volume of $42.2 billion. However, an assessment commissioned by The New York Times and conducted by Chainanalysis showed that over 813,000 investors suffered massive losses totaling $2 billion after purchasing "Trump coin", while the Trump group and its partners earned $100 million in transaction fees.
- Stablecoins benefit from the advancement of the GENIUS bill. With cross-party support in the Senate, compliance prospects have improved for major stablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle, with market expectations of broader integration into traditional financial systems. Analysts predict that stablecoin endorsement requirements could create "trillions of dollars" in US Treasury demand, as issuers need to hold high-quality liquid assets as reserves.
- Increased Correlation between Crypto Markets and Traditional Finance: As banks are authorized to engage in crypto asset custody services, the two originally isolated markets will form risk transmission channels. During stress periods, crypto market volatility may trigger broader financial instability.
- Regulatory Arbitrage and Shadow Banking Risks: A lenient regulatory environment may lead to risk activities shifting to less regulated crypto areas, recreating the shadow banking system expansion before the 2008 financial crisis. 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists have warned that Trump's fiscal policies could trigger inflation and cause global economic instability.
- Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism Obstructed: If cryptocurrencies are widely adopted, central banks' ability to influence the economy through interest rate adjustments may be weakened, especially in small economies with open capital accounts. MIT research predicts that if 20% of transactions switch to stablecoins, the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy effectiveness could be reduced by 40%.
IV. Survival Guide: How Ordinary People Can Avoid Being Left Behind by the Times
The cryptocurrency policy in the Trump 2.0 era is reshaping the financial landscape, bringing unprecedented opportunities and risks to ordinary people. This transformation not only affects investors' asset allocation strategies but may also change daily payment, savings, and wealth inheritance methods. Here are specific recommendations for different groups:
4.1 Investors: Maintaining Rationality amid Enthusiasm
- Reassess Risk Tolerance: Crypto assets are far more volatile than traditional assets. The $1 billion liquidation event in March 2025 shows that leveraged operations can instantly devour principal. It is recommended to control crypto asset allocation within 5-15% of investable assets.
- Focus on Infrastructure Rather Than Speculative Assets: Underlying protocol tokens like BTC and ETH have long-term value support due to inclusion in national reserves, compared to meme coins (such as the TRUMP coin, where 813,000 investors lost $2 billion).
- Use Compliant Channels: With platforms like Coinbase becoming more regulated, prioritize SEC-regulated spot ETFs (like BlackRock's IBIT) over offshore exchanges to reduce fraud risks.
4.2 Consumers: Digital Transformation of Payment Habits
- Stablecoins' Daily Applications: Compliant stablecoins (like USDC) under the GENIUS bill may become a new cross-border payment option, with transaction fees 80% lower than traditional remittances, but ensure the service provider holds 100% reserves.
- Beware of "Crypto Inflation" Traps: Some merchants might charge an additional 3-5% fee under the guise of crypto payment, potentially exceeding credit card costs. Recommend comparing prices based on fiat currency.
4.3 Entrepreneurs: Capturing Policy Dividends and Risk Mitigation
- Web3 Entrepreneurial Window: After OCC allows banks to participate in crypto business, demand for compliant DeFi middleware and institutional-level custody solutions has surged. However, note that SEC's enforcement focus remains on "unregistered securities issuance".
- Regional Compliance Strategy: Even with lenient US policies, global market targeting requires compliance with regional regulations like MiCA. Recommend adopting a "entity separation" architecture (US entities handle compliant business, offshore entities handle high-risk innovations).
4.4 Wage Earners: New Career Development Directions
- Skill Upgrade Paths: Blockchain engineers' median annual salary has reached $178,000 (2025 Robert Half data), with Solidity and other smart contract language learning demand growing 300%. But distinguish between core development and hyped concept projects.
- Pension Portfolio Adjustment: Some 401(k) plans now offer crypto exposure like Grayscale ETHE, but the Department of Labor warns such assets "do not meet prudent investor rules". Recommend maintaining traditional assets as primary.
4.5 Policy Observers: Understanding Macro Trends
- Symbiotic Relationship between USD and BTC: Although US strategic reserves may enhance BTC's status, US dollar stablecoins (75% of global trading volume) actually reinforce US dollar hegemony - it's not a zero-sum game.
- Regulatory Cycle Prediction: The current lenient environment may change with the 2026 midterm elections. SEC Commissioner Peirce's term ends in August 2025, and the successor's stance will affect policy continuity.
4.6 Essential Risk Prevention Measures
- Tax Compliance: IRS lists cryptocurrency as a 2025 audit focus. Use tools like CoinTracker to fully record transaction history, especially noting tax obligations for forked coins and airdrops.
- Security Practices: Phishing attacks increased 300% during policy leniency (Chainalysis data). Store large assets in hardware wallets, keeping only small amounts on exchanges.
- Intergenerational Communication: Young family members' crypto investments may cause estate planning issues. Clearly specify digital asset inheritance clauses in legal documents (such as private key custody arrangements).
Historical experience shows that each technological-financial revolution creates a new wealthy class while also exacting heavy costs from the incautious. After the 1990s internet bubble burst, only infrastructure providers like Amazon retained value, not concept-hyped companies like Pets.com. In the crypto field, ordinary people should focus on: (1) value accumulation of underlying blockchain protocols; (2) practical functions of compliant stablecoins; (3) Token applications integrated with the real economy. Avoiding the "get rich quick" illusion is the key to achieving steady wealth growth in this transformation.
