President Donald Trump hosted a group of cryptocurrency, financial-market, and technology executives at the White House on August 19, 2026, a gathering that produced a moment crypto commentators have replayed since.
Crypto influencer John Squire posted a comparison on X. “Trump didn’t thank the CEO of Ethereum. Bitcoin doesn’t even have a CEO,” Squire wrote, while Trump turned to Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and said, “Thank you very much, Brad.”
The meeting took place in the Roosevelt Room and brought together major names in digital assets. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi, Gemini’s Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Intercontinental Exchange chairman and CEO Jeff Sprecher all attended. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, the top officials at the two agencies that oversee digital-asset regulation, were also present.
Trump didn’t thank the CEO of Ethereum.
Bitcoin doesn’t even have a CEO.He looked at Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and said:
“Thank you very much, Brad.”Let that sink in. 👀 ripple:native pic.twitter.com/sPPzX87Ma6
— John Squire (@TheCryptoSquire) August 29, 2026
A Push for the CLARITY Act
The gathering carried weight beyond the roll call. Trump used the meeting to press Congress on the CLARITY Act, legislation that would divide oversight of digital assets between the SEC and CFTC and replace agency interpretation with statutory definitions.
The bill passed the House in 2025 and remains stalled in the Senate, with a vote expected in mid-September.
Trump tied regulatory certainty to U.S. competitiveness, saying failing to lead in crypto could cost America its standing tied to the world’s reserve currency.
The timing mattered too. The meeting came one day after the SEC issued new guidelines intended to simplify token issuance and capital raising for crypto companies, a shift Ripple and other firms had lobbied for over several years.
XRP Moves on the News
XRP responded to the week’s developments. The token rose close to 10% between August 18 and August 19, trading near $1.09, with spot XRP ETFs recording $5.81 million in inflows on August 18, the strongest single day since July 31.
Garlinghouse addressed the meeting afterward on X, noting that roughly 67 million Americans, nearly one in four, now hold crypto. He credited the Trump administration’s posture toward the industry and stated that division within crypto over competing priorities works against the industry’s shared interest in regulatory clarity.
We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1
— TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025
Structure, Not Snub
Squire’s post did not claim Trump outright snubbed Bitcoin and Ethereum. It highlighted a structural fact: Bitcoin and Ethereum operate without a chief executive, so there was no equivalent figure to single out by name. Ripple’s centralized leadership model gave Garlinghouse a visible moment other projects could not replicate.
Whether that moment reflects genuine favoritism toward XRP or simply the mechanics of who stood in the room remains open to interpretation.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
Follow us on X, Facebook, Telegram, and Google News
