US President Donald Trump’s public crypto moves have sharply changed how lawmakers and industry leaders view digital assets, according to Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson. He says a memecoin launch tied to the president, coming just days before his return to the White House, helped turn a once-bipartisan push for basic crypto rules into a political hot potato. Political Optics Shift Quickly According to Hoskinson, crypto had been building bipartisan momentum and a bill known as the Clarity Act looked likely to win broad support — with around 70 senators expected to vote in favor at one point. That momentum faded when the market saw the president enter the arena with his own token, Hoskinson said, making it politically risky for many Democrats to back crypto measures. CHARLES HOSKINSON: TRUMP’S MEMECOIN DERAILED CRYPTO REGULATION Charles Hoskinson says crypto was on track for a bipartisan regulatory win, until TrumpCoin changed the optics. According to Hoskinson, the CLARITY Act was expected to pass with broad support in late 2024. Around 70… pic.twitter.com/zpA7TRilqV — CryptosRus (@CryptosR_Us) December 19, 2025 Strong Language Hoskinson called the subject a “third rail,” meaning politicians and many industry figures avoid it because it brings big political risk. He told reporters that, in his view, the launch of the memecoin changed how the public and lawmakers linked crypto to one political figure, a shift that made clean rule-making harder. Silence Inside The Industry Reports have disclosed that many crypto executives kept their distance from public criticism. Hoskinson said industry leaders feared losing access to policy talks or being shut out of private meetings if they spoke out. That worry, he argued, led to a quiet industry response even as the rules debate grew more urgent. Timing And Rule Order Raise Concerns Hoskinson also criticized earlier projects connected to the president, including World Liberty Financial , and questioned the timing of launching a commercial crypto product while influence over policy was possible. “You shouldn’t launch a product first and then make the rules,” he said, arguing that regulations should come before big political actors push private ventures into the market. What This Means For Lawmakers Based on reports, the fallout has made committee work and markups more fraught. Lawmakers who once saw an opportunity to write clear rules now face greater political cost from appearing to side with one high-profile figure. That dynamic could push the timetable for formal votes and hearings further out, officials and analysts say. Hoskinson framed his critique as a warning about mixing personal ventures and political power at a moment when the industry needs steady rules. Whether his view will change the debate is uncertain. What is clear is that linking crypto to a single political brand has complicated efforts to secure broad legal ground rules, and that may slow a process many in the market had hoped would be straightforward. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
