Las Vegas, Nevada: U.S. Vice President JD Vance has called on the United States to capitalize on its growing advantage in bitcoin, framing it as a critical asset in the nation’s geopolitical rivalry with China. His remarks, delivered at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, emphasized the potential of the cryptocurrency to bolster U.S. strategic interests as Washington ramps up efforts to overhaul crypto policy.
Vance pointed to China’s longstanding hostility toward bitcoin—including a 2021 blanket ban on crypto trading and mining—as a signal that the U.S. should do the opposite.
“The People’s Republic of China doesn’t like bitcoin. Well, we should be asking ourselves, why is that? Why is our biggest adversary such an opponent of bitcoin, and if the communist Republic of China is leaning away from bitcoin, then maybe the United States ought to be leaning into bitcoin,” he said.
The Vice President’s comments came amid a broader resurgence of digital assets under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has actively engaged with the crypto industry. Trump has pledged to serve as a “crypto president,” courting support from digital asset firms and promoting innovation in the sector.
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In March, Trump signed an executive order to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve using tokens already held by the U.S. government. The move marked a significant shift in federal policy, underscoring the administration’s intent to embrace cryptocurrency as part of national strategy.
During his first week in office, Trump also created a cryptocurrency working group tasked with recommending a regulatory framework for digital assets. That same month, he convened crypto industry leaders at the White House to discuss the future of the sector.
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Meanwhile, Congress is reviewing proposals to regulate stablecoins—digital currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar—amid pressure from crypto advocates. The industry has spent over $119 million backing pro-crypto congressional candidates during last year’s elections, signaling its determination to influence the future of digital asset legislation.
As geopolitical competition intensifies, Vance believes embracing bitcoin could provide the U.S. with a distinct advantage in both economic and technological domains over rivals like China.
