Members in two House committee hearings debated a framework for digital assets while raising concerns about the US president using his position to profit from the industry. Leadership on the US House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) seemed like they were not going to reach common ground on how to regulate digital assets amid President Donald Trump’s potential conflicts of interest with the industry. In a June 4 hearing, committee ranking member Maxine Waters reiterated concerns that, without clarification within the bill, Trump could use the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act to further “cash in” on crypto. The California representative cited examples of the president hosting a dinner for his top memecoin holders, who reportedly paid roughly $148 million for the opportunity to attend, and suggested that Trump could use the market structure to “put [Americans’] money in his digital wallet.” Read more
Pakistan’s crypto minister met with Trump’s digital asset leadership to promote cross-border cooperation and outline Bitcoin-powered infrastructure plans. Pakistan’s minister of state for crypto and blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, met with Robert “Bo” Hines, executive director of US President Donald Trump’s Council on Digital Assets, during a visit to the White House. The meeting focused on boosting cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in the digital assets space. Discussions covered a broad range of topics, including Bitcoin (BTC), potential partnerships and the future of decentralized finance, according to a report by 24NewsHD TV. One key area of dialogue was Pakistan’s newly announced Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. “It is my mission to position Pakistan as a global leader in digital assets,” Saqib said after the meeting. Read more
Senior Trump administration officials on Thursday downplayed the impact of a U.S. trade court ruling that blocked the most sweeping of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, expressing confidence it would be overturned on appeal and insisting there are other legal avenues to employ in the interim. Financial markets, which have whipsawed wildly in response to every twist and turn […]