In a wide-ranging discussion on The Culture Bit podcast, Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) Executive Director and national security expert Matthew Pines gave his latest assessment of the evolving relationship between the Trump administration and Bitcoin. Joined by Simply Bitcoin host Nico Moran and show host Alan Helm, Pines underscored how BTC’s growing influence in Washington has quickly become a key element of US economic and geopolitical strategy.
Trump Is ‘Paying Serious Attention To Bitcoin’
Pines quickly turned to Washington, where the Trump administration has launched several initiatives that place BTC firmly on the federal agenda. In particular, the White House’s recent executive orders have prompted agencies to explore whether the US should establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), incorporate BTC into a potential sovereign wealth fund, and devise clearer rules around stablecoins.
According to Pines, the prospect of a national BTC reserve, once considered fringe, now carries growing traction: “Trump came in and signed an executive order establishing a President’s Working Group on digital assets, specifically mentioning the idea of a strategic digital asset stockpile,” he said. “They really are studying this issue—this isn’t just lip service. If the US does something significant with Bitcoin, it could have enormous geopolitical implications.”
Pines cautioned that policy development in Washington is slow and deliberate, particularly when it involves multiple agencies, yet he believes momentum is building: “Once the government decides to move on something like this, things can happen quickly,” he noted, “but right now, there are a lot of new officials and nominations settling in. They have to do the homework first.”
Alongside talk of a reserve, the administration has also tasked Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to develop the framework for a US Sovereign Wealth Fund, prompting debate over whether it should include Bitcoin.
Pines described how a sovereign wealth fund could broaden support for BTC among influential sectors—such as energy, AI, and defense—since future returns on BTC might finance strategic domestic investments: “If Bitcoin is in the fund, it could align a lot of stakeholders to be pro-Bitcoin, because a rising Bitcoin price directly enhances the fund’s capacity to invest,” he explained.
Yet there remain plenty of details to iron out, not least of which is how to mitigate concerns over BTC’s volatility and how to handle potential pushback from other corners of the “crypto” sector. Pines noted there is lobbying from certain large altcoin organizations to dilute the idea of a strictly BTC reserve and push for a broader “digital asset” focus.
Commenting on the realities of lobbying and politics, Moran underscored how Bitcoiners—many of whom are staunchly anti-establishment—have had to adjust to the newfound necessity of political engagement. “If you think about it, this was always going to happen,” Moran pointed out. “Money itself is inherently political. Bitcoin represents an alternative to central banking. Of course it’s going to become a heated topic in D.C.”
In the final analysis, Pines and Moran both anticipate swift developments in how the Trump administration crafts its digital asset policies. While the exact form of a potential SBR or sovereign wealth fund remains unclear, Pines emphasized that the BPI will continue providing data-driven guidance to policymakers on Capitol Hill and within the administration:
“They really are paying serious attention to Bitcoin, and the window of opportunity to shape policy is right now,” he said. “We want to make sure that policymakers fully understand Bitcoin’s technological underpinnings, its strategic uses, and what it represents for both economic security and individual freedoms.”
Moran echoed that sentiment, underscoring the difference in how Washington now treats BTC relative to just a few years ago: “Last year, we weren’t even in the room. Today, some of the highest-ranking officials in the country own Bitcoin themselves. That changes everything,” he concluded.
At press time, BTC traded at $95,805.
