US Vice President JD Vance will make history as the first sitting vice president to speak at a digital asset conference when he appears at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas on May 28. The announcement, made by event organizers on May 9, signals growing political engagement with the crypto industry. Vance’s appearance comes nearly a year after Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, addressed Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville and recently submitted a video appearance at another crypto summit.

Though Vance holds between $250,000 and $500,000 in Bitcoin, based on an August 2024 disclosure, it’s unclear whether his speech will include any major policy announcements. Since assuming office with President Trump in January, Vance has mostly avoided the crypto spotlight, focusing instead on AI regulation. Trump, however, has signed executive orders establishing a crypto reserve and stablecoin regulation, intensifying scrutiny around his administration’s crypto ties.

The controversy deepened as Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump—both linked to crypto platform World Liberty Financial—are also slated to speak at the same event. Lawmakers have raised concerns that the Trump family may be using the platform and its USD1 stablecoin to enrich themselves.

This political storm erupted further when Rep. Maxine Waters led a halt to a crypto bill hearing in the House, launching a probe into what she called “Trump’s crypto corruption.” In the Senate, Democrats blocked a key stablecoin vote, citing inadequate safeguards and the Trump family’s involvement in World Liberty Financial.

VP Vance’s high-profile appearance now sits at the center of a growing clash between crypto innovation and political accountability.