Howard Lutnick: Bitcoin is America’s new gold under Trump

Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, made it clear in a recent interview that Bitcoin has a powerful future in America — and the federal government is now fully behind it. 

“What is Bitcoin like? It’s like gold, right?” Lutnick said in an interview with Bitcoin Magazine. “It was treated under the Biden administration like you were doing something wrong. Now you have that sort of in the rearview mirror, and it’ll never come back.”

Lutnick, a longtime Bitcoin (BTC) supporter, discussed his personal journey with the cryptocurrency, which began in 2017. He emphasized Bitcoin’s rarity — capped at 21 million coins — as the key reason behind its enduring value. 

“It’s just a rare entity. That rarity is what creates its value,” he said, recalling how he gradually moved from studying blockchain to going “all in” on Bitcoin by 2020.

Today, Lutnick plays a major role in shaping a dramatically different stance toward Bitcoin under the Trump administration. 

Alongside fellow Bitcoin advocate David Sacks, Lutnick helped spearhead the creation of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve — a campaign promise President Trump moved quickly to deliver. 

The Commerce Secretary credited Trump’s leadership and open dialogue with the media as catalysts for the administration’s fast-paced progress.

‘Investment Accelerator’

One of Lutnick’s main initiatives is the new ‘Investment Accelerator’ at the Commerce Department, designed to help billion-dollar-plus investments navigate regulations and permitting.

He said Bitcoin mining is a key focus. Under the program, Bitcoin miners will be able to build private power plants alongside their facilities, reducing reliance on public grids and enabling cheaper, off-grid energy sources like hydroelectric power or flare gas capture.

“You’re going to see miners putting data centers right on top of gas fields,” Lutnick said. “This will turbocharge Bitcoin mining in America.”

He resisted concerns that a heavy concentration of Bitcoin mining in the U.S. could threaten the network’s decentralized nature. 

“America is the most extraordinary business place on Earth,” Lutnick said (edited for clarity). “Figure out how to win in America, and that’s how you get to the highest highs.”

Throughout the conversation, Lutnick painted a vision of Bitcoin’s future as tied directly to American entrepreneurship. 

He suggested that a more business-friendly environment, particularly one that welcomes Bitcoin mining and innovation, could lift not only the Bitcoin community but also those feeling left behind by the economy.