Crypto Comes to Washington

The incoming Trump administration has signaled a bold and controversial move: the integration of cryptocurrency into the U.S. financial system. On its surface, this policy seems oxymoronic. Cryptocurrencies were born as a challenge to centralized authority, promising liberation from governments and banks. Yet here is one of the world’s most powerful governments preparing to adopt and potentially institutionalize them.

What does this mean for the future of authority? Is this a step toward innovation, or a deeper entrenchment of power? Beneath the veneer of technological progress lies a stark reality: this shift doesn’t empower citizens—it empowers the billionaire class that truly controls the levers of policy.

Cryptocurrency: Liberation or a New Form of Control?

Cryptocurrency has been sold as a tool of financial democracy, offering decentralized power and freedom from centralized authorities. But in practice, its rise has led to increasing wealth concentration and control by those already at the top of the economic pyramid.

The Trump administration’s embrace of cryptocurrency must be viewed in this context. It isn’t a disruption of centralized authority; it’s a transformation of it. By legitimizing cryptocurrencies, the administration aligns itself with the billionaire class that already dominates the crypto ecosystem. This isn’t about empowering the masses. It’s about consolidating power in the hands of those who can afford to manipulate markets, control exchanges, and dictate the rules of the game.

Skyrocketing cryptocurrency prices, far from being a sign of financial liberation, are a siren call—a lure drawing individuals into a system where wealth disparity only grows. Early adopters and those with significant capital reap massive rewards, while latecomers risk losing everything. This is not financial democracy; it’s a speculative dystopia where the rich become richer and systemic inequities are entrenched.

Economic Implications: Erosion of the Dollar and Empowerment of the Few

Cryptocurrency adoption poses a direct challenge to the U.S. dollar’s global dominance. As the world’s reserve currency, the dollar has been a cornerstone of U.S. geopolitical power. Embracing digital currencies could undermine this status, particularly if cryptocurrency is positioned as an alternative to fiat currency rather than a complement.

However, the real winners in this shift would not be the U.S. government or its citizens but the ultra-wealthy. Cryptocurrencies, with their speculative bubbles and lack of regulation, are perfectly designed for those with capital to spare. The decentralized promise of blockchain technology is overshadowed by the centralization of wealth it enables.

For the billionaire class, cryptocurrency offers a pathway to bypass traditional financial regulations, launder money, and exert influence on a global scale—all under the guise of innovation.

Think company towns where the only acceptable form of payment is the company crypto currency.

Or maybe Trump wants to replace the US dollar with a currency he can control and benefit from directly?

The Propaganda of Cryptocurrency: A False Promise

Cryptocurrency itself is a form of propaganda. Its narrative of liberation, decentralization, and democracy is seductive. It presents itself as the future of finance, a system for the people, by the people. But this story obscures its true nature: a tool for wealth concentration and control.

The lure of skyrocketing prices, the rhetoric of disrupting “corrupt” systems, and the promise of financial independence are all elements of this propaganda. They foster an illusion of empowerment while trapping individuals in a system where the rules are dictated by those with the most wealth and technical expertise.

The broader social implications are troubling. Cryptocurrencies do not eliminate systemic inequities; they amplify them. The shift from governmental authority to cryptographic authority doesn’t remove power structures—it privatizes and obscures them, making them harder to challenge. This is not freedom; it’s a new frontier for exploitation.

What Lies Beneath: A Billionaire’s Dream

The Trump administration’s interest in cryptocurrency reveals the true locus of power in contemporary America: the billionaire class. These individuals and institutions—many of whom are heavily invested in cryptocurrency—stand to gain the most from its legitimization.

Rather than challenging governmental authority, this policy could signal a deliberate weakening of public institutions in favor of private wealth. By embracing cryptocurrency, the U.S. government could effectively cede aspects of its financial sovereignty to private actors, further diminishing its ability to serve the public good.

This shift isn’t an accident; it’s a feature. It aligns perfectly with the administration’s broader ethos of deregulation, privatization, and the prioritization of elite interests.

A Trap We Will Regret

The U.S. government’s embrace of cryptocurrency may appear forward-thinking, but it’s a Trojan horse. It promises liberation but delivers control. It offers wealth but ensures disparity. And it risks not only the erosion of governmental authority but the entrenchment of a dystopian financial system dominated by the few.

The skyrocketing value of cryptocurrencies isn’t a sign of progress—it’s a warning. It’s the bait in a trap that could lead to a future we collectively regret. If we are to navigate this shift responsibly, we must critically examine who benefits, who loses, and what kind of authority we want to shape the world of tomorrow.