The cryptocurrency industry faces new challenges: conflicts of presidential priorities. Although the cryptocurrency sector is not typically known for its patience, insiders in digital assets may need to cultivate this virtue. Since Trump spoke at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville, cryptocurrency enthusiasts have been celebrating his promises: if elected president, he would fire their opponent Gary Gensler, create a federal Bitcoin reserve, and make cryptocurrency great again. However, Gensler resigned on inauguration day, and while there were a series of executive actions that day, none involved cryptocurrency or Bitcoin. Additionally, no cryptocurrency executives appeared prominently alongside figures like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk.

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  Patience is not a virtue common in the crypto industry, but it’s one digital-asset insiders may need to cultivate, writes stacy-marie ishmael.Digital-asset enthusiasts spent the months since Donald Trump’s barnstorming July speech at a Bitcoin conference in Nashville pre-emptively celebrating his pledges to the industry: that if elected president, he’d fire their nemesis Gary Gensler; create a federal stockpile of Bitcoin; and  make crypto great again.Instead  Gensler resigned, effective as of Inauguration Day — a day which featured  a flurry of executive actions but not a single one about crypto or Bitcoin. Nor did any crypto executives appear in the prime seating alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and  Elon Musk. 

The cryptocurrency industry faces challenges from conflicts in presidential priorities.