Trump’s day 1 promises come due 

With his inauguration days away, let’s review some of his vows regarding tariffs and SEC guidance

article-image

Anna Moneymaker / Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share


This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


President-elect Donald Trump has made a lot of promises for his first day in office, to the crypto industry and otherwise. 

With his inauguration just days away, let’s review some of his vows: 

Increase tariffs 

Trump’s proposed tariff plans have made headlines for months. In late November, though, he made a new promise: a 10% increase on China, plus 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The latter two countries quickly signaled they were willing to negotiate. 

Just this week Trump said that the “External Revenue Service,” a new agency that would be tasked with collecting tariff income, will be created on Monday. We at Forward Guidance are of the belief that tariff increases will happen at a much slower pace, though. 

Commute Silk Road creator’s sentence

Trump in May pledged to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, who has been serving a double life sentence plus 40 years since 2015. 

Ulbricht  was convicted on seven federal counts including narcotics conspiracy and money laundering for his role in founding the Silk Road marketplace. Prosecutors also presented evidence during trial supporting allegations that Ulbricht had paid $730,000 in murder-for-hire fees, but he was not charged with this crime. 

Overturn SAB 121

Trump reportedly plans to reverse the SEC’s controversial SAB 121 guidance, which states that crypto custodians should list custodied assets as liabilities on their balance sheet. 

President Biden last year vetoed a bipartisan resolution that sought to do just this, arguing the legislation “would inappropriately constrain” the SEC.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

Swiss regulator Gespa is assessing whether FIFA’s tokenized ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup violate gambling laws

by Blockworks /
article-image

The deal gives Ondo Finance SEC-registered broker-dealer, ATS, and transfer agent licenses to operate regulated tokenized securities markets

by Blockworks /
article-image

Ethereum and Solana funds mark industry first as Grayscale adds staking to spot crypto products

by Blockworks /
article-image

US bitcoin ETFs that seen more than $2.2 billion of net inflows over the last four trading days

by Blockworks /
article-image

More than 75 million U.S. Galaxy owners gain integrated Coinbase One access through Samsung Wallet, with global rollout planned

by Blockworks /
article-image

The central bank signed agreements with firms for fraud, payments, and app services ahead of a potential launch

by Blockworks /