ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, U.S. President-elect Trump plans to appoint former Bakkt CEO and former Senator Kelly Loeffler as Secretary of Agriculture. Loeffler will also serve as co-chair of Trump's inauguration committee. Notably, Loeffler's husband, Jeff Sprecher, is the founder and CEO of ICE, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, which is the founding and major shareholder of Bakkt.Additionally, according to the Financial Times, Trump's social media company Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) is in advanced negotiations for an all-stock acquisition of Bakkt. Trump holds a 53% stake in TMTG. According to reports, Bakkt plans to build an institutional investor trading platform and may gradually shut down its licensed cryptocurrency custody business in New York.

ChainCatcher news, according to Reuters, Trump has promised to establish a new committee as part of a crypto-friendly government. Insiders say his transition team is discussing how to build and staff the committee, as well as which companies should be included.According to several executives in the digital asset industry, numerous crypto companies, including Ripple, Kraken, and Circle, are vying for seats on the cryptocurrency advisory committee promised by President-elect Trump, seeking a voice in his planned U.S. policy reforms.Trump has garnered support and campaign donations from the industry by promising to become the "crypto president" and to end Biden's regulatory crackdown on crypto companies accused of violating securities and anti-money laundering laws. Trump is also pushing for the issuance of an executive order to ensure that crypto companies can access banking services, end enforcement actions against them, and implement other changes.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the nonprofit cryptocurrency advocacy organization Coin Center warns that while a Trump victory would be good for the cryptocurrency industry, entrenched policies could still scare away American cryptocurrency innovators.Coin Center's research director Van Valkenburgh analyzed the prospects for U.S. crypto policy after the 2024 election in an article and shared three major "serious threats" facing U.S. crypto users and developers in 2025. One major threat comes from the cryptocurrency reporting requirements set forth in U.S. tax code Section 6050I, which mandates that individuals receiving more than $10,000 in cryptocurrency report it to the IRS without a license. The second and third major threats stem from sanctions imposed on Tornado Cash, including unlicensed remittance criminal charges against mixing services and Samourai Wallet.

ChainCatcher news, Fox reporter Eleanor Terrett posted on X platform that Trump has chosen Scott Bessent as the next Secretary of the Treasury.

ChainCatcher News, the American Blockchain Association announced that it submitted a letter to the newly elected President Trump and the new Congress on behalf of its nearly 100 members, outlining the priorities that need to be considered in the first 100 days affecting the cryptocurrency industry.Key points include: establishing a cryptocurrency regulatory framework, ending the de-banking of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology companies, appointing a new SEC chairman and rescinding SAB 121, appointing new leadership at the Treasury and the IRS, and establishing a cryptocurrency advisory committee to work with Congress and federal regulators.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gery Gensler announced plans to resign on January 20, 2025. However, the new nominee for SEC Chairman will face scrutiny from the U.S. Senate, as all commission members must be confirmed by the Senate.It is reported that Trump may attempt to bypass some appointment confirmation procedures through a recess appointment; however, this would require Congress to vote for a recess, and Congress may be reluctant to do so unless the nominee is uncontroversial.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10, Deutsche Bank's head of currency research George Saravelos stated that the market previously believed that the impact of Trump's election as president was somewhat priced in before he took office, but in fact, the market's pricing of the Trump effect has not been excessive at all.He explained: "In our model, the dollar's safe-haven premium is only 3%, while during the first trade war it was as high as 10%. The bottom line is that the market's pricing of the Trump effect has not been excessive at all."

ChainCatcher news, according to BusinessInsider, Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz recently stated that the Trump administration has brought a "paradigm shift" in cryptocurrency regulation.He pointed out that almost all members of the Trump cabinet hold Bitcoin and are supporters of digital assets, and they generally support innovation, digital assets, and the development of Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news reports that multiple executives in the digital asset industry have revealed that many crypto companies, including Ripple, Kraken, and Circle, are vying for seats on the cryptocurrency advisory committee promised by President Trump, seeking a voice in the planned U.S. policy reforms.According to a source, the venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz's crypto division a16z is expected to secure a seat, while an a16z spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

ChainCatcher news, according to Hong Kong media reports, the Trump team is reviewing candidates specifically responsible for cryptocurrency policy-related positions. Although it is still unclear whether this position belongs to the senior White House staff level, known as the "Cryptocurrency Czar" (responsible for overseeing policy regulations within the federal government), personnel from the cryptocurrency industry are striving for this opportunity to directly engage with Trump.It is reported that recently many individuals have gone to Mar-a-Lago for "interviews," including former Binance executive Brooks, who is also considered a potential candidate for the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, Coinbase CEO Armstrong also met with Trump this week.

ChainCatcher news, according to informed sources, President-elect Trump is considering a reshuffle of the leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), including the dismissal of the FBI Director.Informed sources revealed that Trump is considering appointing former FBI agent and former Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers as the next FBI Director, while appointing former federal prosecutor Kash Patel as the Deputy Director of the FBI.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin Shi reports, sources familiar with the matter revealed that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed selecting financier Kevin Warsh as his Secretary of the Treasury, but there is an understanding that Warsh may be nominated to lead the Federal Reserve when Jerome Powell's term as Chairman ends in 2026.Some insiders said that Trump discussed possible arrangements with Warsh at his private club Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Wednesday. Warsh is a leading candidate to head the Treasury Department, but as of Thursday evening, Trump has not yet decided who to choose for this key cabinet position. Sources familiar with the situation stated that Trump is still weighing how to handle the vacancy for the Federal Reserve Chair position and may wait until Powell's term ends in May 2026 to make a final decision.Some of these individuals said that Trump is considering appointing investor Scott Bessent to lead the National Economic Council, and if Warsh becomes the Federal Reserve Chair, Bessent would be nominated for Secretary of the Treasury later in his term.

ChainCatcher news, yesterday's issue of TIME magazine featured Musk as its cover person and published a special article titled "How Musk Became a Kingmaker" about the alliance between Musk and Trump.The article points out that Musk has played an indispensable role in Trump's successful presidential campaign in terms of funding and influence. At the same time, Musk is also deeply involved in Trump's government affairs. Besides the government efficiency department, Musk has ventured into both domestic and foreign affairs under Trump.The article cites examples where the leaders of Turkey and Ukraine had Musk participate in their calls with Trump. Additionally, when House Republicans invited Trump to a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, Musk followed behind, placing a "GUEST 1" label on the window of Trump's motorcade.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, Trump has nominated Pam Bondi for the position of U.S. Attorney General, after the previously nominated Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the position.