In the heat of the 2024 campaign, President Trump was intrigued by something that caught many political operatives off guard: cryptocurrency. While the traditional financial system had remained largely stagnant for decades, here was a technology that represented genuine innovation in how Americans think about money, investment, and economic freedom. The president’s curiosity would lead to one of our smartest strategic moves of the entire campaign.

As a political operative, I live by a simple rule: campaigns are about addition, not subtraction. Every day, we’re looking for opportunities to expand our coalition and bring new voters into the Republican tent. When we started examining the crypto landscape, we realized we had stumbled upon something special — a chance to make inroads with voters who don’t usually gravitate toward the Republican Party.

The data we collected was eye-opening. The “crypto voter” wasn’t confined to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs or Wall Street traders. Our research revealed that crypto ownership and interest crossed virtually every socioeconomic boundary in America. We were looking at black voters, millennials, Gen Z — exactly the demographics where Republicans have historically struggled to gain traction.

Suddenly, we had identified common ground with people who shared our fundamental belief in economic freedom and innovation, even if they had never considered supporting Republican candidates before.

This represented something rare in modern politics: a genuine growth opportunity. In an era where the electorate is increasingly polarized and fixed, crypto emerged as an issue that could genuinely expand our coalition rather than simply reshuffling existing voters between parties.

We recognized a void in the political landscape — Democrats were either hostile to crypto innovation or indifferent to it, while we could authentically champion the principles of financial freedom and technological advancement that crypto represents.

President Trump’s embrace of crypto wasn’t just smart politics; it’s led to smart governance. When he spoke at crypto conferences and promised to make America the “crypto capital of the world,” he was articulating a vision that resonated with voters who want America to lead in emerging technologies rather than cede that leadership to countries like China or regulatory havens in Europe.

The results speak for themselves. We saw measurable gains among younger voters and made inroads in communities that had previously been skeptical of Republican economic policies. Crypto became a bridge issue that allowed us to have conversations about broader themes of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic freedom with voters who might otherwise tune out traditional Republican messaging.

But here’s the crucial point: we can’t afford to get complacent. Winning on crypto in 2024 was just the beginning, not the end, of what Republicans need to do to maintain and expand this support.

Congress must act swiftly to pass comprehensive legislation like the CLARITY Act for crypto market structure and the GENIUS Act for stablecoins. These bills represent exactly the kind of forward-thinking governance that crypto voters expect: clear rules that protect consumers while fostering innovation. Failing to pass these bills, and dropping the ball on the President’s agenda, would have far-reaching consequences – both for any Republican lawmakers who fail to meet the moment and for the entire party’s coalition.

But our party’s commitment to innovation and economic freedom cannot end with these bills.

The same voters who were attracted to our crypto message are watching how we handle new innovation in blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging industries. They want to see consistent Republican leadership on technological advancement, not just opportunistic positioning on trending topics.

The crypto coalition we built in 2024 represents a template for how Republicans can expand our appeal with younger, more diverse voters without abandoning our core principles. These voters believe in the same economic freedom and innovation that have always defined conservative economics, they just express those beliefs through new technologies and platforms.

As we look toward future elections, the lesson is clear: Republicans must continue to be the party of the future, not the past. Crypto gave us a foothold with new voters, but maintaining their support requires sustained commitment to the innovation agenda that brought them to our coalition in the first place.