Cryptocurrencies need to establish themselves before the end of Trump's presidency: perspective of Etherealize co-founder

The cryptocurrency sector is facing a downturn in the face of a potential political upheaval following Donald Trump’s departure from office. Danny Ryan, co-founder of Etherealize, a company specializing in integrating cryptocurrencies into traditional financial institutions, argues that the industry has a limited window to prove its indispensability to the global financial system.

Limited Opportunity Window for the Industry

According to Ryan, the situation is surprisingly delicate. Although Trump publicly supports the development of cryptocurrencies and his administration has implemented groundbreaking regulations, the close proximity between the president and the sector could turn out to be a liability. “If the next government decides to attack the industry, the fight can no longer be about whether cryptocurrencies should exist at all,” Ryan explained to Decrypt during the ETH Capital Summit in Argentina.

The Trump Family and Cryptocurrencies: Complex Interests

Conflicts of interest surrounding the Trump family’s involvement in crypto projects have already complicated legislative progress. Trump issued a licensed meme coin days before his inauguration, and his wife — Trump’s first wife, Melania — followed suit two days later. Together with his three sons, the president co-founded World Liberty Financial, which issued a stablecoin and plans to expand its product offerings.

According to Eric Trump, the family has already earned over $1.1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures. This financial involvement has sparked anger among Democrats in Congress, especially during debates over the CLARITY Act, where lawmakers focused more on potential conflicts than on the substance of the regulation.

From Protest to Breakthrough: The GENIUS Act

July brought a significant victory for the sector — the passage of the GENIUS Act, which established a legal framework for stablecoin issuance. However, the road to this division was bumpy. Democrats left a hearing dedicated to digital assets and then attempted to add provisions preventing Trump from personally engaging in cryptocurrency ventures while in office.

These political turbulences directly impacted Etherealize’s work. When Vivek Ramaswamy, co-founder and CEO of the company, testified before Congress, it was clear that many Democrats were not interested in the substance of regulatory proposals — instead, they were concerned about conflicts of interest.

Strategies to Defend Against Future Political Reactions

Ryan sees a solution in deeply embedding cryptocurrencies within global capital and financial markets. “If we significantly involve financial institutions, the world of capital will shift not just to the question: should this exist? But how should it work?” he explained.

The ideal solution, in his view, is depoliticizing the issue. Cryptocurrencies should be seen like the internet — infrastructure that society cannot afford to abandon. In such a scenario, even if a new administration wants to hold the former president accountable and scrutinize his activities, the industry itself would be too entrenched in the system to be destroyed.

“They may try to reshape this sector, but it will be more about adjusting details than complete destruction,” Ryan said. However, there is no certainty — politics remains unpredictable.

The Critical Importance of Accelerating

Awareness of this political threat motivated Ryan himself to join Etherealize. After receiving a notice from the SEC while working at the Ethereum Foundation, he considered leaving the industry altogether. But observing Trump’s vigorous entry into the crypto world, he realized that the climate is changing and wanted to be part of this shift.

Now, the industry must act quickly. Every month counts in deciding whether cryptocurrencies will become a resilient part of the global financial system or remain a sector vulnerable to political whims.