How the Crypto Industry Survived Donald Trump’s First Year in Office

January 20, 2026 marks one year since Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States. This period has been eventful for the crypto industry — from high-profile memecoin launches and controversial personnel decisions to changes in regulatory practice and market volatility.

"Over the past year, the president and his circle have repeatedly been at the center of events that directly or indirectly influenced the digital asset market in the US and beyond. The editorial team at PegasusSwap has gathered the key moments from the past 12 months that this politician spent as head of the United States "

A Shift in Regulation

At the government level, Donald Trump quickly signaled a pro-crypto regulatory course. In the first weeks after his inauguration, he began assembling a team focused on revisiting the previous administration’s approach to digital assets. 

Personnel appointments became one of the first signals of a change in regulatory paradigm: the Secretary of Commerce was appointed from industry-friendly leadership, a new economist joined the Federal Reserve Board, and leadership of the SEC was handed to a long-time critic of aggressive enforcement. At the same time, the administration launched institutional mechanisms to develop new digital finance policies. 

In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order to create a working group on digital financial technologies tasked with analyzing crypto regulation and assessing the possibility of forming a national digital asset reserve. Later, regulatory policy was cemented in law, including requirements for stablecoin issuers and the allowance of retirement account investments into alternative assets such as crypto.

By the end of the year, regulatory clarity was less definitive: a key Senate committee postponed consideration of a major crypto market bill amid disagreements with industry stakeholders. 

Bitcoin on Shaky Ground
 

The “Trump factor” often triggered noticeable reactions in Bitcoin’s price. Even before his inauguration, the market was rising, with Bitcoin setting record after record. Exactly a year ago, BTC hit an all-time high above $109,000. Yet over the subsequent 12 months, conditions changed. 

"Trump’s policies influenced the crypto market not only through niche initiatives. In 2025, Bitcoin was constantly reacting to the macroeconomic decisions of the White House, especially trade and tariff policy. "

In February, the introduction of import tariffs against some countries drove Bitcoin below $100,000. During the spring, the market entered a phase of high volatility. Some tariffs came into effect, pushing the price under $75,000, while subsequent statements about possible tariff delays and comments on Federal Reserve policy helped prices recover, briefly pushing BTC above $100,000 again.

A year after Trump’s second inauguration, Bitcoin trades around $91,000 according to TradingView data, representing a net decline of over 10% over the year.

The Crypto Kingdom

Alongside state policy, the crypto business of the president’s family developed vigorously. Two days before the inauguration, Trump introduced a memecoin called TRUMP, and on the day he took office, First Lady Melania Trump launched a token called MELANIA. Both assets quickly reached multibillion-dollar market capitalizations before losing most of their value, sparking lively industry debate.