Donald Trump Eyes JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon for Treasury
By Vukan Ljubojevic | TH3FUS3 Senior Writer
July 18, 2024 10:00 AM
Reading time: 2 minutes, 9 seconds
TL;DR Donald Trump revealed that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has softened his stance on Bitcoin and crypto. Trump is considering Dimon for the Secretary of the Treasury position, marking a significant turn for the long-time crypto critic.
Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said JPMorgan chairman CEO Jamie Dimon has "changed his tune" toward Bitcoin and crypto. Trump added that he is willing to appoint an executive as Secretary of the Treasury.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Trump revealed the long-standing Bitcoin critic's softening stance. He also called for the US to maintain dominance over the crypto sector. The statements were made in June despite the recently published interview.
Trump on Jamie Dimon
Trump told the newswire: "I've gotten to know people in the industry, they're top-flight people. And you ask Jamie Dimon, Jamie Dimon was, you know, very negative, and now all of a sudden he's changed his tune a little bit."
In the same interview, Bloomberg asked Trump whether he might select Dimon as Secretary of Treasury. Trump responded: "He is somebody that I would consider, sure."
Trump described a June meeting with Dimon and other executives of top US companies coinciding with meetings with Republican Congress and Senate members. Trump said the JPM CEO attended and expressed "much respect" for the bank executive.
Dimon's History with Trump
In 2016, Fortune reported that Trump's transition team offered Dimon the position during his first term. However, Dimon ultimately declined the role. More recently, in December 2023, Axios reported on the possibility of Dimon heading the Treasury, citing sources close to Trump's campaign.
Dimon has long criticized Bitcoin and crypto. As early as 2017, he called Bitcoin a "fraud" and said he would fire any JPMorgan trader trading in the asset.
Dimon's Evolving Stance on Crypto
At the start of the year, he repeated his belief that crypto is a Ponzi scheme and advanced severe criticisms of Bitcoin mining. However, a few months later, in March, he also said he would "defend" the right to buy and hold Bitcoin even if he would not do so himself, hinting at a softening stance.
Despite his negative statements about crypto, Dimon has been an avid advocate of the underlying blockchain technology. In 2022, the JPMorgan CEO expressed support for DeFi and blockchain, calling each area a "real, new technology" in a letter to his firm's shareholders.
JPMorgan has stood out for its blockchain testing and experimentation and has several blockchain-based products, including its Liink network and JPM Coin.
"I've gotten to know people in the industry; they're top-flight people," said Donald Trump. "And you ask Jamie Dimon. Jamie Dimon was, you know, very negative, and now suddenly he's changed his tune a little bit."