From cointelegraph
Welcome to Cointelegraph’s live coverage of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. The crypto world is bracing for potential changes in regulation, innovation and adoption. This live blog brings you minute-by-minute updates, expert insights and commentary on how the new administration might shape the future of blockchain and digital assets.
Catch up quick
- Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 47th president of the United States. His inaugural address ignored digital assets.
- The White House unveiled Trump’s “America First Priorities” following the inauguration — none mentioned crypto or Bitcoin.
- Trump’s first batch of executive orders he signed also didn’t include any pertaining to crypto.
- SEC Commissioners Peirce, Crenshaw and Uyeda have issued an official statement on Gary Gensler’s departure as chair.
- Crypto market volumes surged on Jan. 20, with Bitcoin briefly hitting all-time highs and Trump’s controversial memecoin approaching $11 billion in market cap.
DOGE officially in effect as Trump signs EO
Jan. 21, 1:41 am UTC: Trump signed an executive order officially launching the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE — an advisory commission aimed at cutting federal government spending led by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk.”OK, that’s a big one,” Trump said when signing the order.
Trump added that Musk will not get an office in the West Wing but would have a team of around 20 people “to make sure these [executive orders] get implemented.”

”Elon’s very busy sending rocket ships up to various places,” he later said.
In seemingly its first cut, DOGE posted to X an image of a deleted page for the Office of Personnel Management’s interagency chief diversity officer council, which advised government agencies on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“It begins,” Musk posted to his platform, sharing DOGE’s post.

Source: Elon Musk
Former Republican US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will reportedly no longer co-lead DOGE as he gears up to run for governor of Ohio next year.
Crypto absent from first batch of EOs signed by Trump
Jan. 21, 12:22 am UTC: Trump signed a slate of executive orders on stage at a post-inauguration celebration at the Capital One Arena — none were about crypto or making a Bitcoin reserve.
Instead, several executive orders were signed to address immigration, the US-Mexico border, federal workforce hiring and withdrawing from the climate change-focused Paris Agreement, which Trump claimed would save the country “trillions.”
Orders to “end the weaponization of the federal government” and restore freedom of speech were also signed.
A Trump aide said on stage that the president would be signing more executive orders through the evening in Washington, DC. Reports have said the president will sign up to 100 orders on his first day in office, with one expected to cover crypto.
Trump nominates Paul Atkins to SEC, names Mark Uyeda as acting chair
9:29 pm UTC: In one of the first official announcements by the Trump White House, the US President has officially nominated former SEC commissioner Paul Atkins to serve the remainder of former chair Gary Gensler’s term, ending in June 2026. He also chose SEC commissioner Mark Uyeda, a Republican, to serve as acting chair until the US Senate could confirm a replacement chair.
Under Gensler and Jay Clayton — the SEC chair during Trump’s first term — the regulator filed multiple enforcement actions against crypto firms, some alleging they offered and sold unregistered securities. It’s unclear what the status of these cases will be in the next administration.
Trump’s priorities don’t mention crypto
8:00 pm UTC: For all the euphoria surrounding Trump’s pro-crypto presidency, his “America First Priorities” omitted any mention of digital assets or their role in boosting American innovation and the economy.
According to a White House briefing, the key priorities of Trump’s second term include energy independence, public safety, reforming the government bureaucracy and promoting “American values.”
The briefing said all government agencies “will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living” and that “President Trump will announce the America First Trade Policy.”
CFTC names Caroline Pham as acting chair
6:44 pm UTC: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) member Caroline Pham will become the acting chair of the financial regulator under President Donald Trump.
In an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on Jan. 20, a representative of Commissioner Pham said she would replace former CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam temporarily until Trump could nominate a permanent head of the regulator whom the Senate could confirm.She has been serving as a CFTC commissioner since April 2022 after being nominated by former US President Joe Biden.
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