"If we don't do it, China will": Trump defends American leadership in cryptos

Donald Trump has not yet awakened America as he would like. His repeated calls to conquer the crypto industry resonate like a global alarm signal. But one ethical question remains: does this touted leadership truly serve national interests? Or rather a personal fortune that the president is amassing left and right?

China in the crosshairs : Trump’s geopolitical crypto play

On July 6, 2026, Donald Trump reiterated his credo on X and in the media. If the United States steps back on crypto, China will immediately move forward to occupy the entire ground. “Crypto is the same. If we don’t do it, China will. It’s a massive industry“, he declares. 

This strategic antithesis serves a clear political objective. Trump claims to have gathered the support of “100 million people” in the crypto community. He has hammered this message since 2024, notably facing Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business. 

China, however, bans private trading while developing its e-CNY. This contradiction allows the president to justify an approach based on clear rules. 

The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, and the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve embody this vision of digital sovereignty. Behind this patriotic discourse, a very different reality is quietly taking shape.

The $1.4 billion question : Trump’s crypto empire and its contradictions

Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure reveals crypto income estimated at 1.4 billion dollars. World Liberty Financial brought him nearly 500 million. The TRUMP memecoin generated about 636 million more. 

Faced with these astronomical numbers, the president justifies his gains by attributing them to the rise of financial markets. This defense, clever as it may seem, does not withstand a close examination of the concrete facts. 

The TRUMP token has dropped 80% since its launch, now trading around 1.67 dollars. Small investors have lost considerable sums, while the president pockets hundreds of millions.

On X, reactions are as sharp as a scalpel. “He got 100 million votes and crypto money, then rugpulled 2 billion of his memecoin and has done nothing since” (@JosephEd27). Others hail the presidential commitment: “Finally something positive from the government side” (@eightlends).

Richard Painter, former White House ethicist under George W. Bush, calls the situation an “extraordinary conflict of interest“. The unease thickens when examining links between this policy and foreign interests, especially Emirati.

UAE, the Clarity Act, and grey zones : US crypto policy on shaky ground

The New York Times reveals that a company linked to the United Arab Emirates acquired 49% of World Liberty Financial. Shortly after, the Trump administration authorized the export of AI chips to that same strategic partner. A troubling coincidence, which the White House dismisses with a hand-wave that is hardly convincing. 

“Neither the president nor his family has ever had – and will ever have – a conflict of interest“, says spokesperson Anna Kelly. Yet, the Clarity Act, which is supposed to regulate digital asset markets, has still not been passed by the US Congress. 

Crypto policy thus relies on fragile decrees and presidential declarations. A vulnerability that critics do not fail to point out with biting irony. On X, a trader sums up the general atmosphere: “Whether bullish or bearish, crypto is now part of the economic debate in Washington” (quoted by Grok). 

The contradiction is striking: Trump waves the Chinese threat, but his own camp has not secured the essential legislative framework. Meanwhile, the Trump family gets richer, the Emirates watch, and small investors cry over their devalued memecoin.

Key figures to remember:

• Trump’s crypto income in 2025: 1.4 billion dollars;
• TRUMP memecoin drop: 80% in one year;
• TRUMP token price at time of writing: 1.66 dollars;
• Emirati stake in World Liberty: 49%;
• Fairshake spending: 170 million for pro-crypto candidates.

The leadership war between China and the United States has never really stopped, nor even weakened. While Trump hammers his will to dominate cryptos, Beijing multiplies maneuvers in the AI universe. Recently, Alibaba banned its employees from using Claude, Anthropic’s model. A revealing spectacle of the technological tensions crossing the globe, where each camp attempts its own skirmishes.