President Donald Trump hosted finance, technology, and cryptocurrency executives at the White House on Aug. 19 for a ceremony to discuss advancements in U.S. technological dominance. The event, held in the Roosevelt Room, took place one day before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Innovation Advisory Committee’s first meeting.
Prediction market firms were notably absent from the invitation list, despite earlier reports suggesting their inclusion. A White House official confirmed to Politico that cryptocurrency executives attended, while prediction market companies were not part of the event.
During the ceremony, Trump highlighted his administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory obstacles for emerging financial technologies. He cited the removal of former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler and the termination of federal initiatives such as “Operation Chokepoint 2.0”, which had targeted crypto and digital assets. Trump stated, “We ended the war on crypto.”
The president also referenced executive orders signed in his second term, including one establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve and another banning federal agencies from creating a central bank digital currency. Additionally, the GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, set guidelines for dollar-backed stablecoins.
Trump urged lawmakers to support legislation such as the Clarity Act, which would create a federal framework for digital assets. He framed these efforts as critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in technologies like artificial intelligence and prediction markets, stating, “It’s very powerful structured legislation which will keep us ahead of China and everyone else.”
The White House event underscored the administration’s focus on fostering innovation while signaling a selective approach to industry representation in high-level discussions.