Vice President JD Vance called bitcoin investors at the annual crypto conference “digital pioneers” and asked for their continued involvement in the political world.

“The people in this room are the digital pioneers of the American economy, and that’s why our administration is doing something a little unusual in Washington,” Vance said Wednesday. “We’re listening to all of you as you blaze the trail of innovation.”

Vance’s remarks at the Las Vegas conference come as the Trump administration continues its efforts to build relationships with the cryptocurrency industry, particularly after Vance and President Donald Trump received support from Silicon Valley during their 2024 campaign.

“I know that a lot of people in 2024 in this community chose voice. You chose to speak up, and you chose to get involved, and I believe you changed the direct trajectory of our country because of it,” the vice president said.

“The first thing that I ask you is to take the momentum of your political involvement in 2024 and carry it forward to 2026 and beyond,” he said. “Don’t ignore politics, because I guarantee you, my friends, politics is not going to ignore this community, not now and not in the future.”

He also called for the community to begin “long-term strategic” thinking about Bitcoin’s implications on the millions of Americans who invest in the product and urged investors to pay attention to artificial intelligence developments.

Bitcoin, a form of digital currency, also called cryptocurrency has gained significant popularity among investors in recent years. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies allow entities to transfer value online without the need for a middleman like a bank or payment processor.

Since its inception in 2009, bitcoin has gained broader interest from investors and its price saw an all-time high in late 2024.

Vance said he and Trump believe that cryptocurrency will be a “strategically important asset” for the United States over the next 10 years, citing the bitcoin reserve promised by Trump’s media company.

Trump Media and Technology Group, which is a parent company to Trump’s Truth Social, shared this week that investors will buy $2.5 billion in the company’s stock and the proceeds will create the bitcoin reserve.

Vance said Wednesday he still owns a “fair amount” of bitcoin. According to a widely reported financial disclosure from August 2024, Vance owned $250,000-$500,000 in bitcoin.

The vice president called on the investors at the conference to give the administration feedback and to tell them “the ways in which bitcoin can play a positive role” in the country’s strategic future. He highlighted the administration’s plans to make “big progress for this industry” under their leadership.

“We’re going to need your help. We’re going to need your guidance. We’re going to need your encouragement, and at times, yes, because this is politics, our politicians are going to need your pressure,” Vance said.

While he expressed confidence in the administration’s digital asset policy, Democrats in Congress are concerned there are conflict of interest issues with the administration’s continued investment in the crypto world.

During his first administration, Trump dismissed crypto as a “scam,” but reversed course during his recent campaign. Just days into his second term, Trump signed an executive order that promised to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet.”

Vance’s remarks Wednesday follow other Trump figures who spoke at the conference, including the president’s two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita and White House crypto czar David Sacks.