During his first 100 days in office (January–April 2017), **Donald Trump did not explicitly address cryptocurrency policy**. Bitcoin and crypto were not yet a major focus in U.S. politics, but his administration's broader economic and regulatory stance had indirect effects. Here’s what happened (and didn’t happen) regarding crypto during that period:
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### **1. No Direct Crypto Policy Statements**
- Trump **did not mention Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies** in speeches, executive orders, or tweets during his first 100 days.
- His campaign and early presidency focused on traditional economic issues (tax cuts, trade, deregulation) rather than digital assets.
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### **2. Indirect Regulatory & Economic Impacts**
Though not crypto-specific, Trump’s policies influenced the environment:
- **Deregulation Push**: The administration favored reducing financial regulations (e.g., rolling back Dodd-Frank), which some saw as potentially favorable for crypto innovation.
- **Anti-Regulation Stance**: Trump later (2019) criticized Bitcoin and crypto, but in 2017, his SEC pick (**Jay Clayton**) took a cautious approach, emphasizing ICO scams and investor protection.
- **Tax Policy**: The 2017 tax reform (passed later that year) did not address crypto directly, leaving ambiguities (e.g., like-kind exchanges, reporting).
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### **3. Early Crypto Landscape in 2017**
- **Bitcoin’s Rise**: BTC price surged from ~$1,000 (Jan 2017) to ~$1,300 (April 2017), fueled by retail interest—but this was unrelated to Trump.
- **Regulatory Uncertainty**: The SEC and CFTC began scrutinizing ICOs, but no major federal action occurred during Trump’s first 100 days.
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### **4. Later Developments (Post-100 Days)**
- **2018–2020**: Trump’s Treasury (under **Mnuchin**) cracked down on crypto privacy tools (e.g., targeting Monero, Zcash).
- **2019 Tweet**: Trump famously said he was *"not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies,"* calling them volatile and based on "thin air."
- **2020**: The IRS expanded crypto tax reporting, and OCC allowed banks to custody crypto.
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### **Key Takeaway**
Trump’s first 100 days were silent on crypto, but his administration’s deregulatory approach and later skepticism shaped the industry’s U.S. trajectory. Major crypto policy shifts happened **after** his initial months in office.
Would you like details on how specific Trump-era agencies (SEC, CFTC, IRS) treated crypto?
