BlockBeats news, on February 19, local time in the U.S. on the 18th, the first World Liberty Forum hosted by Trump’s crypto project World Liberty Finance was held at Mar-a-Lago. This forum not only gathered U.S. financial and crypto industry giants and regulatory leaders: Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, and NYSE President Lynn Martin.
Heavyweights from the sports and cultural sectors also attended: such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino and renowned rapper Nicki Minaj.
As the hosts, Trump's two sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. appeared as event presenters.
BlockBeats summarizes the main points made by the speakers at the event as follows:
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon
He shared that he publicly holds Bitcoin for the first time, although in small amounts, and stated that he remains a 'observer' of Bitcoin, still trying to understand its price behavior and volatility. He emphasized the importance of cryptocurrency to traditional finance and supported the advancement of regulatory frameworks (such as the Senate's push for a crypto market structure bill). Solomon's appearance marked Wall Street's transition from skepticism to participation, discussing how the macro environment is favorable for crypto growth by 2026, and hinting that institutions are accelerating their embrace of digital assets.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong
Armstrong stated that the main reason for the deadlock in negotiations over crypto market structure legislation is the banking industry association, rather than individual banking institutions. He pointed out at the World Liberty Forum held in Florida that some industry associations view the crypto industry with a 'zero-sum mindset,' believing that for banks to win, the crypto industry must lose, thus hindering the progress of the bill.
One of the current focal points of controversy is whether to allow stablecoin rewards. After the Senate Banking Committee's push for a market structure bill was stalled, banking representatives insisted on limiting stablecoin reward provisions during multiple meetings organized by the White House. The next round of related meetings is expected to take place this week.
Armstrong expects that a certain compromise may emerge in the future, providing banks with new policy benefits in exchange for support of the bill. He also emphasized that what small and medium banks are truly worried about is not the flow of funds to stablecoin issuers, but rather the flow of deposits to larger banking institutions. Meanwhile, several large banks have begun to lay out their plans for crypto business, with Coinbase currently providing crypto infrastructure support for 'five of the world's top five banks.'
Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman
As the head of Nasdaq, she focused on the modernization of financial infrastructure and the integration of TradFi with blockchain. She emphasized how exchanges are adapting to trends in tokenized assets, stablecoins, and DeFi, supporting regulatory clarity to promote innovation. Her speech reinforced Nasdaq's leadership position in the digital asset space, discussed the role of AI in market structure, and how traditional markets can more efficiently integrate crypto opportunities. The overall tone was one of positively embracing change and pushing the U.S. to lead in global digital finance.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig
As a regulator, he primarily discussed the progress of legislation regarding crypto market structure, regulatory pathways, and the CFTC's role in overseeing derivatives/futures. He emphasized the need to balance innovation with risk control, avoiding over-regulation that stifles growth. Selig's speech was seen as a policy signal, discussing stablecoin regulation, cross-border implications, and how to make U.S. rules more friendly. CZ listened to his speech on-site and expressed that he 'benefited greatly.'
FIFA President Gianni Infantino
He approached the topic from a sports/global entertainment perspective, discussing the application of tokenization in the sports industry, such as fan tokens, NFTs, digital collectibles, and how blockchain is reshaping the fan economy and sponsorship. Infantino highlighted FIFA's interest in Web3 (having previously launched NFT projects) and explored how to combine the global influence of football with DeFi/stablecoins to create new revenue streams. His participation underscored the cultural/entertainment dimension of the forum, symbolizing the penetration of crypto into mainstream industries.
Nicki Minaj
In a fireside chat titled 'Owning the Culture: The Business of Music in a Creator-Led Economy' (talking with Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz), she focused on how artists transition into entrepreneurs. She discussed transforming music, IP (intellectual property), royalties, and fan communities into on-chain businesses, utilizing blockchain for direct monetization, independent control, and new models of fan economy. Minaj emphasized the creator-led era, where artists no longer rely on traditional record companies but instead leverage crypto/DeFi tools to control their value chain. She also expressed support for Trump, bringing a pop culture perspective that attracted significant attention.
Donald Trump Jr.
As a co-founder and host of WLFI, Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. strongly criticized the traditional banking system as a 'Ponzi scheme,' claiming it forced the Trump family into crypto. He vigorously promoted USD1 stablecoin as the 'upgraded version of the dollar,' emphasizing that the private sector drives innovation, that stablecoins create demand for U.S. bonds, and help taxpayers.
Eric Trump
He is very optimistic about Bitcoin, predicting it will reach $1,000,000 (based on a historical average annual increase of 70%). Eric emphasized that the Trump family's crypto project is serving the 'most pro-crypto president,' pushing for regulatory loosening and innovation. He discussed WLFI's RWA strategy (such as tokenizing Trump Maldives resort loan proceeds) and reaffirmed the family's vision: upgrading the dollar, bridging TradFi and blockchain, and enabling the U.S. to lead a global financial revolution.
