Trump Meets Crypto Execs as Bitcoin Surges
Bitcoin surged by 5.5% to $[no specific price given] as of 3:07 p.m. ET on August 19, 2026, following a meeting between President Trump and executives from major cryptocurrency companies at the White House.
The gathering included representatives from Coinbase Global, Payward, and Blockchain.com, as well as top regulators such as SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Mike Selig. The meeting comes one day after the SEC proposed a rule change favorable to the industry.
The news has sparked hopes that the US government will take a more supportive stance towards cryptocurrencies, which could lead to increased adoption and investment in the space.
Bitcoin's price increase mirrors the broader market, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite up 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, on Wednesday.