The Trump Administration Did Not Mention Crypto Assets in Its National Security Strategy

• The Trump administration has released the NSS.
• It is a document for Congress that lists the main security challenges, problems and priorities.
• Among the administration’s areas of interest are AI, biotechnology and quantum computing, but not cryptoassets.
• The document has faced criticism due to its support for right-wing ideas, authoritarian regimes and overall tone.

President Donald Trump’s administration has released the National Security Strategy (NSS), a document that lists key US priorities. Despite the head of state’s promises to make America the “crypto capital of the world,” there is no mention of digital assets.

The NSS is a document for Congress, which is prepared by the executive branch every few years. In fact, it provides a roadmap for major issues in foreign and domestic security, and contains the key priorities of the current administration.

The key thesis of the new National Security Strategy is the “America First” tenet, which is emphasized in the introduction:

However, despite President Trump’s assurances that he wants to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world,” there is no mention of digital assets in the document.

In the “Priorities” section, the “Economic Security” paragraph, it states that the current administration aims to “maintain and increase U.S. dominance in the financial sector.” This refers primarily to capital markets, but the paragraph also mentions the following:

That said, prior to this, in November 2025, Trump publicly stated that the current financial system is outdated and needs to be modernized through the integration of blockchain solutions.

Instead, the NSS emphasizes AI, biotechnology and quantum computing as areas in which the U.S. “must” maintain leadership in the international race:

What accounts for this selective approach is unknown at the time of writing.

Note that the new National Security Strategy caused a flurry of indignation. Even before the publication of the document, the Bloomberg publication stated that it is a list of “whims” of the new administration. Questions are raised first of all by Trump’s plan to follow the Monroe Doctrine.

This is a political principle enunciated by President James Monroe in 1823. It states that America is “for Americans” and forbids European powers from further colonization and interference in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, calling it the sphere of US interests.

The document also calls for “cultivating resistance” to the current course of Europe, which will face “civilizational erasure” as a result of migration.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepoel, his commentary quoted by The Guardian, said the US remains an important security ally of Europe, but “freedom of expression or the organization of societies” does not fall into that category.

The NSS lists the Middle East as “a source and destination for international investment.” The document calls for “an end to America’s misguided experiment in forcing these countries, especially the Gulf monarchies, to abandon their traditions and historical forms of government.”

Also mentioned in the NSS is the war in Ukraine. Its swift conclusion is a priority for the administration, but it also aims to restore strategic ties with Russia. The BBC said official Moscow welcomed the document and said it was in line with its vision.

The overall tone of US foreign policy in Trump’s second term can be described by the following quote from the document:

Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the document “rejects decades of values-based U.S. leadership in favor of a cowardly, unprincipled worldview.” His words were quoted by The New York Times.

China is referred to in the NSS as a “competitor” to the U.S. in the global market rather than an ideological adversary. Jonathan Jing, a member of the National Security Council under Joe Biden, said the document carries a “positive message for Beijing.”

According to Politico, the softening of rhetoric toward China was pushed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and was one of the reasons why the document was delayed.

Overall, the NSS, as assessed by the press and political analysts, is in line with the Trump administration’s overall course and stated goals. This means that the U.S. is shifting its focus to the Western Hemisphere in general and Latin American countries in particular, moving away from the role of “global policeman” and proclaiming an anti-migration policy.