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Coinbase CEO to meet with Trump to discuss personnel appointments — WSJ

Before US Election Day, Brian Armstrong said Coinbase was “prepared to work” with either a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump administration.

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, will reportedly meet with Donald Trump as the president-elect continues to announce staff picks for his administration and the heads of government departments.

According to a Nov. 18 Wall Street Journal report, Trump intended to meet privately with Armstrong to discuss personnel appointments. The Coinbase CEO did not appear to have donated directly to the Republican’s 2024 campaign or political action committees (PACs) directly supporting him but said before the US election the crypto exchange would be prepared to work with a Trump administration.

It’s unclear whether Armstrong or a Coinbase employee could potentially have a role in the next US president’s administration. At the Bitcoin 2024 conference in July, then-candidate Trump said he intended to establish a “Bitcoin and crypto presidential advisory council” to “design transparent regulatory guidance for the benefit of the entire industry” within 100 days of taking office.

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Senator Lummis says Treasury should convert gold for Bitcoin reserve

The United States government has the highest gold reserves in the world, with over 8,000 tons of the precious metal on its balance sheet.

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis is advocating for the United States Treasury Department to convert a portion of its gold holdings into Bitcoin (BTC) to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve.

Lummis told Bloomberg that by converting gold certificates held by the US Treasury into Bitcoin, the immediate effect on the US government's balance sheet would remain "neutral," as opposed to spending approximately $90 billion to purchase the Bitcoin at current market prices.

The US Senator previously argued that the US Treasury should convert a portion of its assets to purchase Bitcoin for the strategic reserve, but never specified which of the Treasury's holdings should be sold to acquire more of the digital currency.

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Ripple Labs and CEO come under fire amid rumors of a Trump meeting

Ripple's native currency, XRP, surged by more than 17% on November 15, based on expectations of a friendlier regulatory climate in the US.

Ripple Labs and CEO Brad Garlinghouse are facing criticism from industry executives after rumors that the CEO recently met with President-elect Trump began circulating on social media.

In response to the rumors, former Messari CEO and founder Ryan Selkis remarked: "Brad Garlinghouse is shilling XRP (XRP) and CBDC implementations." Selkis' comments were reposted by the vice president of research at Riot Platforms, Pierre Rochard.

Rochard agreed with Selkis and wrote "We can’t let Ripple co-opt the United States policymaking process with their anti-bitcoin agenda," and hoped that the President-elect would appoint more Bitcoiners to his administration.

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‘There is a global race underway for Bitcoin’ — Anthony Pompliano

The election of a pro-crypto President in the United States and growing macroeconomic turmoil will continue to drive investors to Bitcoin.

Asset manager and investor Anthony Pompliano recently stated that the global Bitcoin (BTC) arms race between sovereign nations and governments has already started.

In an appearance on Yahoo Finance, Pompliano argued that market participants believe President-elect Trump will keep his campaign promises and establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve, and that doing so would be in the best interest of the United States to prevent being "Front-run by other countries." Pompliano asserted:

The pro-Bitcoin asset manager explained that the race to adopt Bitcoin is primarily driven by currency devaluation and noted that US residents lost approximately 25% of their purchasing power over the last five years.

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18 US states file lawsuit against SEC and Gary Gensler

President-elect Trump has vowed to fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and replace him with a more crypto-friendly SEC head. 

18 US states have filed a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Chairman Gary Gensler, accusing the financial regulator of “gross government overreach” against the nascent crypto industry.

The joint lawsuit against the SEC. Source: Eleanor Terrett

The plaintiffs include Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, Ohio, Montana, and others. The legal complaint reads:

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Crypto community hopeful about new Senate leader John Thune

Not endorsed by Donald Trump, Senator John Thune defeated the Elon Musk-supported Senator Rick Scott to become the new Senate majority leader.

The cryptocurrency industry has high hopes for regulatory clarity in the United States as the Republican Party elected Senator John Thune of South Dakota as the new Senate majority leader.

Thune won the Senate majority leader race on Nov. 13, defeating the Elon Musk-endorsed Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

“We will work to make America prosperous again by streamlining the bureaucratic machine and overturning costly Biden-Harris regulations,” Thune stated in a speech after winning.

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Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick vying for Treasury Secretary post

Lutnick has become increasingly visible to the crypto community due to his relationship with Tether and his appearance at Bitcoin 2024.

President-Elect Donald Trump is selecting cabinet members for his upcoming administration in 2025, and the role of Treasury Secretary is now reportedly contested between Scott Bessent and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick.

According to Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, Bessent was "All but certain" to secure the position as recently as Tuesday, November 13. The pro-crypto asset manager was the most likely pick for United States Treasury Secretary alongside hedge fund manager John Paulson.

However, Paulson bowed out of the cabinet selection due to what he described as "complex financial obligations," and Lutnick has allegedly rushed in to clench the Treasury Secretary role, sources close to the process say.

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Alchemy Pay expands US compliance with four new state licenses

Alchemy Pay’s new MTL licenses in Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Wyoming bring its total to eight US state licenses.

Cryptocurrency payment gateway Alchemy Pay is growing compliance in the United States by obtaining new licenses in four US states.

Alchemy Pay has secured four new US money transmitter licenses (MTLs) in Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Wyoming, the firm announced to Cointelegraph on Nov. 8.

The new licenses bring Alchemy Pay’s total to eight US state licenses, according to data from the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System and Registry.

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“Significant amount of capital” to be unlocked for crypto ventures — Bitfinex analysts

Analysts for the crypto exchange Bitfinex anticipate a rise in capital inflows following the reelection of Donald Trump in the United States.

Bitfinex analysts anticipate a “new wave of hope” entering crypto markets following Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States. 

This renewed hope is expected to translate into more capital flowing into the Web3 space as the industry expects federal agencies to adopt a less hostile stance on cryptocurrencies. According to Bitfinex analysts:

Trump’s support for the crypto industry is a new development. During his first term at the White House, Trump went on record on X as an opponent, saying he was not a fan of Bitcoin (BTC) and deeming cryptocurrencies speculative.

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Polymarket payouts to be delayed unless Fox, NBC agree on US election winner

No matter who wins the 2024 US presidential election, Polymarket users may have to wait months for their settlements. 

Donald Trump maintains a formative lead over Kamala Harris on the Polymarket prediction market but, no matter who wins the election, payouts could be delayed until Jan. 20, 2025, unless the Associated Press, Fox, and NBC all agree on a clear winner. 

Under the rules of the “Presidential Election Winner 2024” contest on Polymarket, either candidate must win the election for payouts to occur. However, when it comes to US presidential elections, it can take days, weeks, or even months to determine the final outcome.

According to a disclaimer on the contest’s landing page, Polymarket won’t declare a winner before Inauguration Day unless the media reaches a consensus.

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