JD Vance, current sitting Vice President, at Bitcoin 2025. On the surface, it's mainstream adoption. A signal that Washington is getting serious about crypto at last. If you pull back the curtain just a bit, you’ll see plenty of blood spilling. Crimson, bordering on blood red.

The Trump family’s submersion into the crypto world just got a whole lot deeper. To get more specific, we’re focusing in on World Liberty Financial and the ethical cesspool that appears to be spreading all around it. Is Vance’s appearance a real sign that the feds are serious about innovation? Or does it represent a more worrisome approval of an underlying trend? I think it's the latter.

Corruption Smells Like Roses Lately?

Let's be blunt: the Trump family's involvement with crypto stinks. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, schmoozing over at World Liberty Financial. Lawmakers raising serious concerns. Maxine Waters stopping a House hearing to demand an investigation into “Trump’s crypto corruption.” Senate Democrats have been blocking a bipartisan stablecoin bill, objecting with the phrase “no safeguards.” You shouldn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to make the obvious connection.

Here comes Vance, as a personal investor with substantial Bitcoin holdings ($250k-$500k). He’s looking to make a big splash at Bitcoin 2025! What message does that send? That everything is fine? That the Chair’s concern about the potential conflicts of interest is just Democrat partisan whinging?

Here's the unexpected connection: remember the subprime mortgage crisis? How many times did we listen to the refrain of “it’s different this time” before the entire house of cards came crashing down. This feels eerily similar. A new, complex financial product, unregulated and ripe for exploitation, with powerful figures turning a blind eye (or worse, actively profiting).

It’s an affront to everyone who cares about good, ethical government. It's a signal that, in the new Washington, corruption isn't a bug, it's a feature. And Vance, for better or worse, is helping to normalize the latter.

Legitimizing The Unethical?

We hope to convince you that continuing to engage with the crypto community is critical. That rejecting it out of hand is irresponsible. I agree. Yet there’s a huge chasm between meeting with good faith actors and giving credibility to bad faith actors' shady enterprises.

Think about it. Imagine you’re thinking about investing in a new crypto project. To now, all of a sudden, see the Vice President of the United States sharing a stage with them and their industry luminaries. Doesn’t that add some soporific cover to the whole thing? Have you pondered rumors of corruption behind closed doors? That official seal of approval can have a funny way of making you ignore all those concerns, huh?

That's the danger here. Vance’s presence isn’t so much about crypto as it is about the influence. He uses the power of his office to shape narrative, poke and prod, and ultimately pliably affect public perception. This strategy wouldn’t just benefit those directly connected to the Trump family. The issue is not whether crypto is good or bad, but for whose benefit, and to whose detriment.

Where Is The Crypto Regulation

Where's the outrage? Where are the calls for transparency? Where are the calls for actual regulation that protects consumers and stops the corruption?

Instead, we are treated to photo ops and handwavy commitments. What we don’t need is the Vice President lending his credibility to an industry that clearly needs more oversight. It seems like the only thing the decision makers above them care about is getting rich themselves. They don’t appear to be as public interest oriented.

I'm not saying Bitcoin is inherently evil. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not here claiming that all players in crypto are crooks. We need to be more than ever careful about who we believe. On top of that, we need to be mindful about the signals we are communicating. Vance’s appearance at Bitcoin 2025, far from merely giving an open remarks speech, should be considered a test. A true test of our values, our principles and our resolve to hold those in power accountable.

Don't let him—don't let them—off the hook. Demand answers. Demand transparency. Join the Fight Require a government that works for you, not the Trumps and their crypto cronies. Because if we don’t, the shadow they cast will continue to lengthen.