I came across this comparison and honestly it made me stop for a second.

Back in 2021 everything felt like it was going up forever. People were talking about the next big coin and acting like every dip was just another buying opportunity. Fast forward to 2026 and some of those same coins are nowhere near their old highs.

The funny part is that the mindset around crypto hasn't changed that much. Every cycle feels like “this time is different” until the market reminds everyone how quickly things can change.

For people who were around in 2021, what do you think you understand about crypto now that you completely missed back then?

Donald Trump is expected to meet with crypto executives and prediction market leaders at the White House on Wednesday.

CFTC Chair Michael Selig is also expected to attend, alongside representatives from Coinbase, Ripple, Chainlink, a16z, Paradigm, Kalshi and The Digital Chamber. SEC Chair Paul Atkins is expected to join as well.

The meeting comes just before the first session of the CFTC’s new Innovation Advisory Committee, which will focus on crypto regulation, AI and prediction markets.

The committee includes 35 industry figures, including Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan, Kalshi co-founder Tarek Mansour and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, as well as representatives from Cboe, CME, DTCC and Nasdaq.

This is happening while the CLARITY Act remains stuck in the Senate. The next procedural step is expected on September 15, after senators return from recess. Moving the bill forward will require 60 votes.

Prediction markets will also be a major part of the discussion. Selig has argued that event contracts should fall exclusively under CFTC jurisdiction, while several states continue to push back against Kalshi and Polymarket over sports-related markets.

Trump has previously backed the idea that prediction markets should be regulated at the federal level by the CFTC.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has received preliminary conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to become a national trust bank.

If the remaining conditions are completed, WLFI will receive a federal national trust bank charter in the US.

The potential investigations could also involve Apple, Alphabet, Palantir, Blackstone, BlackRock and companies connected to Elon Musk, focusing on their contracts and ties with the U.S. administration.

Democrats reportedly see this strategy as potentially more effective than direct confrontation with the White House.

One Democratic representative said the goal would not be to immediately pursue Trump’s impeachment, but rather to build a broad evidence base around his administration and its relationships with major corporations.

Republicans currently control the House, which significantly limits what Democrats can do. But if Democrats win a House majority in the elections, they would gain the power to issue subpoenas, demand documents and hold congressional hearings.