{"id":2572049,"date":"2026-02-20T16:08:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T21:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/byron-donalds-positions-himself-to-pump-bitcoin-if-elected-governor\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T16:11:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T21:11:53","slug":"byron-donalds-positions-himself-to-pump-bitcoin-if-elected-governor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/byron-donalds-positions-himself-to-pump-bitcoin-if-elected-governor\/","title":{"rendered":"Byron Donalds positions himself to pump bitcoin if elected governor"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbyron-donalds-positions-himself-to-pump-bitcoin-if-elected-governor%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2572049&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Washington Examiner reports on Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a leading contender in the 2026 Florida republican gubernatorial race who has positioned himself as pro-cryptocurrency and influential on crypto policy through his role on the House financial Services Committee.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It notes that Donalds\u2019 wife, Erika Donalds, bought ample amounts of bitcoin as the asset\u2019s price declined, with disclosures showing purchases ranging from $50,001\u2013$100,000 in December 2025 and $1,001\u2013$15,000 in January 2026. The larger December purchase was initially filed under his name but was later attributed to his wife.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-top-dem-on-ccp-committee-took-money-from-pro-ccp-donors\/\" title=\"New top Dem on CCP committee took money from pro...CCP donors\">article highlights potential conflicts<\/a> of interest, given his committee seat and pro-crypto agenda, with ethics expert Bartlett Naylor arguing that a public official with a personal financial stake in assets affected by policy should consider divestment.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Florida\u2019s crypto ecosystem is described as strong, with Miami serving as a regional hub and several crypto firms headquartered there; the industry has donated about $350,000 to Donalds\u2019 campaign through 2025.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Critics warn about influence from special interests and calls for him to reject donor support,while opponents point to a $5 million AI-industry-backed super PAC backing his bid.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece also mentions past scrutiny of Donalds\u2019 finances, including a Campaign Legal Center complaint alleging late filing of financial disclosures for about $1.6 million in stock trades, and notes related questions about his and his wife\u2019s crypto-related holdings.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Additional context includes references to Donalds\u2019 long-standing cryptocurrency advocacy and the potential for policy decisions to impact crypto prices, as well as separate coverage of donations from a CCP-linked firm despite China-related criticism.<\/p>\n<p>In short, the article portrays a gubernatorial bid intertwined with strong crypto ties, raising questions about ethics, influence, and financial disclosure.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;Conflict of interest&rsquo;: Byron Donalds takes financial interest in Bitcoin as he pushes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-trump-presidency-would-be-a-boon-for-crypto\/\" title=\"A Trump Presidency Would Be A Boon For ...\">pro-crypto platform<\/a><\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2018386\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/byron-donalds\/\">Byron Donalds&rsquo;s<\/a> (R-FL) wife recently purchased large quantities of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bitcoin\/\">bitcoin<\/a> amid a steep decline in the asset&rsquo;s value, according to a pair of congressional financial disclosures. Donalds, the front-runner in the GOP primary for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">2026 Florida gubernatorial election<\/a>, has proposed crypto-friendly policies that could bring the asset&rsquo;s price back up, potentially providing him with a significant financial windfall.<\/p>\n<p>He also sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which has worked on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cryptocurrency\/\">cryptocurrency<\/a> legislation over the past year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4462492\/foreign-agents-pump-cash-campaigns-2026-elections\/\">Foreign agents pump large amounts of cash into campaigns ahead of 2026 elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4463718\/tucker-carlson-claim-detained-israel\/\">Former Israeli prime minister shames &#8216;chickens***&#8217; Tucker Carlson over claim he was detained in Israel<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4461671\/ice-battle-local-democrats-convert-warehouses-detention-centers\/\">Inside ICE&#8217;s battle with local Democrats to convert warehouses into detention centers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Donalds&rsquo;s campaign was silent when contacted by the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>about whether or not the congressman plans to divest from crypto if he is elected governor.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Members of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a> shouldn&rsquo;t trade stocks because their inside information about policy decisions impacts stock prices,&rdquo; Bartlett Naylor, a corporate governance and financial expert at Public Citizen, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Donalds&rsquo;s recent bitcoin purchase demonstrates this. A member of Congress, any candidate for governor, should divest from any elective asset whose value depends on policy choices.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cryptocurrency prices are famously volatile and, indeed, responsive to policy choices.<\/p>\n<p>When President<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\"> Donald Trump<\/a> announced in March 2025 that he would pursue a cryptocurrency strategic reserve, bitcoin&rsquo;s price <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-says-cryptocurrency-strategic-reserve-includes-xrp-sol-ada-2025-03-02\/\">shot up 11%<\/a>. Donalds has proposed implementing a similar <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/video\/6369843057112\">strategic reserve in Florida<\/a>, possibly teeing up a similar jump in value.<\/p>\n<p>Donalds&rsquo;s wife, Erika Donalds, purchased between <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/disclosures-clerk.house.gov\/public_disc\/ptr-pdfs\/2026\/20033780.pdf\">$50,001 and $100,000<\/a> in bitcoin on Dec. 18, 2025, and between <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/disclosures-clerk.house.gov\/public_disc\/ptr-pdfs\/2026\/20033981.pdf\">$1,001 and $15,000<\/a> in bitcoin on Jan. 8, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taxpayers-paid-big-money-for-dem-attempt-to-overturn-election-results\/\" title=\"Taxpayers Paid Big Money for Dem Attempt to Overturn Election Results\">congressional records show<\/a>. The larger purchase was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/disclosures-clerk.house.gov\/public_disc\/ptr-pdfs\/2026\/20033747.pdf\">initially filed<\/a> under Donalds&rsquo;s name but later changed to his wife&rsquo;s following <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/congress\/byron-donalds-crypto-rules-bitcoin\">scrutiny <\/a>from the press.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While Trump&rsquo;s strategic reserve is slated to include a mix of cryptocurrencies, Donalds has made clear that his reserve would only include bitcoin, the asset that his wife happens to hold. In an interview with Fox Business, he wouldn&rsquo;t rule out using tax dollars to fund the reserve.<\/p>\n<p>Critics say the bitcoin purchases create a potential ethical issue.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a conflict of interest,&rdquo; Cynthia Brown, senior ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, D.C., told the&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, explaining that this is the case whenever a public official has a &ldquo;personal financial interest in something that they&rsquo;re making decisions about on behalf of their constituency.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Brown clarified that she is not familiar with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\">Florida<\/a> law and could not speak to whether or not Donalds had violated it, but stated that the congressman&rsquo;s wife&rsquo;s holdings were a &ldquo;conflict of interest with a little &lsquo;C&rsquo; and a little I&rsquo;,&rdquo; because &ldquo;you have someone serving the public interest who&rsquo;s possibly, and I&rsquo;ll just leave it at possibly, making decisions on what might help their family financially.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds takes the stage during his campaign kickoff on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Bonita Springs, Florida. (AP Photo\/Chris Tilley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Donalds has stated that he intends to make <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/byron-donalds-florida-governor-elections-2026-trump-5884b17305d6ef64408934dbdd65a210\">promoting the cryptocurrency industry<\/a> a priority of his administration. The congressman, if elected, will have ample opportunity to help the industry and potentially drive up the prices of digital assets.<\/p>\n<p>Miami has become a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/media\/miami-quietly-reclaims-its-cryptocurrency-crown-market-signals-point-promising-comeback\">regional hub<\/a> for crypto, boasting a healthy startup environment and hosting offices for titans in the industry such as Blockchain.com, Robinhood, and Gemini. MARA Holdings, one of the largest publicly traded bitcoin mining companies in the world, and cryptocurrency transfer giant MoonPay are headquartered in Florida as well.<\/p>\n<p>Such a strong crypto presence in Florida will give Donalds ample opportunity to distribute wins to the industry if elected.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Signalling support for Donalds&rsquo;s plans, the crypto industry has <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >cut large campaign checks<\/a> to the gubernatorial hopeful. Robinhood, Ripple Labs, Elliptic, and Payward had donated a total of $350,000 to Donalds&rsquo;s campaign by the end of 2025, Florida campaign finance records show.<\/p>\n<p>Donalds&rsquo;s primary opponents have argued that the large amount of money special interests are spending to support his campaign could lead to his being subject to their influence, if he&rsquo;s elected.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am calling on Byron Donalds to immediately reject this committee&rsquo;s assistance, renounce his support for the massive expansion of [artificial intelligence] data centers in Florida, and take down the &lsquo;For Sale&rsquo; sign he has placed on our state,&rdquo; former Florida House Speaker and gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/voterenner.com\/paul-renner-for-governor-byron-donalds-the-state-of-florida-is-not-for-sale\/\">said<\/a>, reacting to news that a super PAC supported by the AI industry would be spending <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/super-pac-backed-ai-titans-pledges-5-million-boost-byron-donalds-run-f-rcna258612\">$5 million <\/a>to support Donald&rsquo;s candidacy. &ldquo;Florida will remain free. Florida will remain strong. And Florida will never bow to billionaire-backed schemes that put profit and power ahead of our people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to running for governor on a pro-crypto platform, Donalds has also been a staunch ally of the asset class while in Congress, receiving an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.standwithcrypto.org\/politicians\/person\/byron---donalds\">&ldquo;A&rdquo; ranking<\/a> from the industry group Stand With Crypto. His membership of the House Committee on Financial Services, as well as its digital assets subcommittee, provides him with an inside look at the progression of bills regulating the industry, as well as influence in shaping them.<\/p>\n<p>Cryptocurrency prices have historically <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/07\/16\/crypto-market-today.html\">risen <\/a>and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/bitcoin-xrp-ethereum-prices-crypto-bill-senate-34d67237?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdWoIQGMSGdLxzqbBTULKF-qDEoRaQLHt2m1iWh3F02FaYV5inJDhG8nTDZjX8%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69988ad0&amp;gaa_sig=EiAnWuLvb6NBLF8igBhH19Vm1iAJnNh8TByALofVB5NW7BU_hK6Kaq3O3qSulRgfQFyxdTTFZwMUczTsyqVXnA%3D%3D\">fallen <\/a>in conjunction with legislative developments.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4416749\/byron-donalds-took-large-donations-ccp-linked-firm-despite-china-criticism\/\"><strong>BYRON DONALDS TOOK LARGE DONATIONS FROM CCP-LINKED FIRM DESPITE CRITICISM OF CHINA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Donalds has a history of controversies related to his personal finances.<\/p>\n<p>The Campaign Legal Center, for instance, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/campaignlegal.org\/update\/congressional-stock-trading-continues-raise-conflicts-interest-concerns\">filed a complaint<\/a> with the Office of Congressional Ethics in September 2024 alleging that Donalds had failed to file required financial transactions reports on time for over 100 trades valued at roughly $1.6 million. Donalds&rsquo;s recent bitcoin transactions also faced scrutiny, as they occurred on the same day he sent a letter to the IRS urging more favorable tax treatment for crypto staking rewards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Byron Donalds faces Bitcoin stake amid pro-crypto push<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2572050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26021583325871.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4254,32322,74244,43492,41276],"class_list":["post-2572049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bitcoin","tag-byron-donalds","tag-cryptocurrency-policy","tag-florida-politics","tag-governor-election"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26021583325871.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2572049"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2572053,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572049\/revisions\/2572053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2572050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2572049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2572049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2572049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}