Trump, Republicans court crypto votes and dollars at 'Bitcoin 2024'

Republican nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump once blasted cryptocurrency, calling it a "scam." Now, he is headlining one of the industry's biggest conferences.

Trump, who made the comment in 2021, will speak on Saturday, the last day of the three-day Bitcoin 2024 convention in Nashville. Republican former candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming will also speak.

Among Democrats, U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California is on the roster.

The industry has quickly rebounded after FTX and a series of other crypto companies collapsed in 2022, sending token prices sliding and forcing multiple companies into bankruptcy. Digital asset proponents say that cryptocurrency users are becoming a growing political force this election cycle, although it is unclear just how many users would prioritize crypto over other issues at the ballot box.
The Republican Party is courting their votes by promising lighter regulation, potentially tying a currency built to circumvent government to a major U.S. political party.