Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK began with royal pomp, as King Charles III hosted the US President at Windsor Castle. After the ceremonies, London and Washington will push forward on the political discussions around trade, tariffs and potentially crypto cooperation.
As of Wednesday morning, official readouts have not made any mention of digital assets. Yet given the White House’s emphasis on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as part of its economic agenda, and the UK’s push to modernize its financial system, official collaboration between the two countries could well form part of the conversation.
On Tuesday, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves met her government counterpart, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to discuss closer alignment on digital assets and capital markets. The talks were attended by major crypto firms including Coinbase, Circle and Ripple, alongside banks such as Citi, Bank of America and Barclays, the Financial Times reported.
Art of the deal?
The Trump administration has embraced digital assets and is seeking to extend Washington’s financial dominance into the crypto space. The White House has backed US companies as they work to expand stablecoin issuance and cross-border payment systems.
A transatlantic accord would mark another step anchoring the digital economy around dollar-linked systems. Already, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that both sides agreed to a technology pact that will lead to US-UK collaboration and billion-dollar investments for AI, healthcare, quantum computing and nuclear energy.
What’s on the table
The two sides are also working to lock in a 10% tariff deal, a politically sensitive item aimed at shielding domestic industries while preserving bilateral trade flows while other key trading partners bear the brunt of the US’s onerous trade war on the world
Trade will likely remain a key item for discussion given the Trump administration’s protectionist ambitions. The President has endeavoured to bring about new trade agreements through tariffs, or the threat thereof, sparing no-one, including defence allies.
The Russian war in Ukraine is also likely to be on the agenda. Both sides may take advantage of the face time to align on European security in the context of NATO and Russian containment efforts.
More broadly, both governments have emphasized the “special relationship” as a foundation for cooperation in any upcoming deals and negotiations.
