Several Bitcoin miners met with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night, as reported by Matthew Schultz, executive chairman at the crypto mining company CleanSpark Inc.`
According to Schultz, Trump expressed his admiration for and understanding of cryptocurrency, stating that Bitcoin miners contribute to stabilizing the energy supply from the grid. Trump also mentioned that he would support miners if he returned to the White House, Schultz added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On his Truth Social account, Trump mentioned that Bitcoin mining could be “our last line of defense against a CBDC,” referring to a central bank digital currency, and emphasized that he wants all remaining Bitcoin to be “MADE IN THE USA!!!”
Recently, Trump has been increasingly focusing on Bitcoin and other digital assets during his campaign as a way to attract new voters. He has sought advice from Elon Musk and promised at a recent Libertarian Party convention to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of the Silk Road online marketplace. Additionally, his campaign is now accepting crypto donations.
Jason Les, CEO and director of Riot Platforms Inc., also confirmed meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago through a post on X.
This meeting occurs amidst a backlash against crypto miners due to various issues, including climate change and its impact on local power grids. Democrats have been leading efforts to increase scrutiny of Bitcoin miners’ energy use and carbon emissions, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been a prominent supporter of the industry.
Crypto industry ramps up support for pro-digital asset candidates after Trump meet
The crypto industry, on the other hand, is working to support candidates favorable to digital assets, including by making increasing donations to the Fairshake political action committee. Since 2021, when Beijing imposed an industry ban, the US has become the center of Bitcoin mining. This energy-intensive process involves using power-hungry computers to validate encrypted transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain, earning rewards in the form of tokens.