Lawmakers Move as Trump’s Crypto Agenda Takes Shape

Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Donald Trump has made clear that his administration intends to champion digital assets. Promising to turn the United States into the “crypto capital of the world,” Trump has initiated a comprehensive set of initiatives that are already reshaping the regulatory and investment landscape.

Last month, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets released its first major report, laying out a roadmap for America’s leadership in blockchain finance. This came on the heels of Trump’s signing of the GENIUS Act, the country’s first federal framework for regulating stablecoins. Together, these developments underscore a dramatic shift from the previous administration’s enforcement-heavy approach.

Lawmakers Position Themselves Ahead of the Curve

But amidst the emergence of these policies, another trend began to take shape on Capitol Hill. Congressional trading data since the start of 2025 reveals a surge of interest in crypto-related investments, particularly in the months leading up to and following Trump’s policy announcements. Even though the development of the crypto sector has equivocal bipartisan support, a closer look at the filings reveals that a few lawmakers were not only active in the digital asset space but also strategically timed in their trades.

Representative Jefferson Scott Shreve, for example, executed a series of trades in both Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN:US) and MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR:US), two companies closely tied to Bitcoin and broader crypto exposure. Shreve purchased Coinbase shares in early May at $206, well before the stock rallied to nearly $380. Similar timing can be seen in his MicroStrategy activity, where he bought shares in late February and exited part of his position in May, just as crypto markets gained momentum on the back of regulatory optimism.

Representative Ro Khanna’s investment funds followed a similar trajectory, accumulating Coinbase shares throughout May, June, and July. One of his transactions alone netted nearly a 50% gain. These trades were made as the House passed the CLARITY Act, a legislative cornerstone of Trump’s crypto agenda that seeks to establish new regulatory guardrails and empower the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to oversee digital asset spot markets. The alignment between Khanna’s market moves and legislative progress appears far from coincidental.

From Bitcoin to Meme Coins: Broadening Exposure

Perhaps the most aggressive entrant into crypto markets this year is Representative Brandon Gill. Between January and July, Gill invested over $716,000 in Bitcoin across multiple transactions. His timing is striking: major purchases occurred in June and July, just before Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law and as anticipation built for further deregulatory efforts.

While mainstream tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum dominated some lawmakers’ portfolios, others ventured further into the speculative fringes. Representative Mike Collins, for instance, made a series of trades involving micro-cap and meme tokens like Ski Mask Dog and Virtuals Protocol. His filings show multiple purchases of these assets throughout the spring and summer, along with trades in Ethereum and The Graph.

At the same time, Representative Guy Reschenthaler was also active, buying and selling large-cap tokens like Bitcoin, Ripple, and Solana in quick succession. His trades coincided with a period of heightened activity from federal regulators and came just weeks before key announcements from the White House.

Political Power Meets Financial Interests

While all members of Congress are permitted to invest in public markets, the proximity of these trades to significant federal actions naturally raises concerns. The Trump administration has made no secret of its desire to distance itself from the Biden-era crackdown on crypto, which saw lawsuits against major exchanges and strict compliance measures. Trump has rolled back many of those actions and encouraged agencies like the SEC and CFTC to create safe harbors and regulatory sandboxes that allow digital asset projects to flourish. 

The president himself has not been immune from questions about conflict of interest. Trump has acknowledged personal exposure to the crypto sector, including a stake in World Liberty Financial and connections to meme coin projects through family members.

What is clear is that Trump’s pivot to a pro-crypto posture has already begun reshaping both market sentiment and political behavior. Congressional trades suggest that some lawmakers anticipated this shift, while others moved swiftly in response to it.