[Daily News Brief] Trump promises the United States to become a "bitcoin superpower" and university funds accelerate investment in digital assets

After US President Donald Trump proposed the ambition to build the United States into a global "bitcoin superpower", more and more American university endowments and foundations have begun to seize this opportunity to invest in cryptocurrencies. This growing interest in digital assets is not only reshaping the investment landscape, but also igniting wider discussions about the future and stability of cryptocurrencies as viable financial instruments. Although cryptocurrencies have been criticized for their drastic volatility, they have outperformed traditional asset classes over the past five years. This trend has prompted many institutional investors who have previously taken a wait-and-see attitude to jump into the crypto market, fearing missing out on major returns. Among these pioneers, the University of Austin has set up its first $5 million Bitcoin fund, marking the first attempt in a U.S. endowment fund. Similarly, Emory University has recently become the first university to disclose holdings of Bitcoin Exchange-Trade Funds (ETFs), further demonstrating a shift in institutions’ attitudes towards digital currencies. Chun Lai, chief investment officer of Rockefeller Foundation, expressed caution optimism about cryptocurrencies, saying they are willing to increase their investment in crypto assets if their user base can be diversified. "We don't have a crystal ball to predict what cryptocurrencies will be in ten years, but we don't want to be left behind when their potential is significantly apparent." Endowment funds' growing participation in the crypto market is reflected in focus The significant growth of venture capital funds in digital assets. Pantera Capital, a leading institution in the field, has increased eightfold since 2018 by endowment and foundation clients. It is worth noting that Yale University invested in cryptocurrency venture capital funds early on when the price of Bitcoin was only a small part of today, showing its long-term strategic vision. However, not all stakeholders are positive about this trend. Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University, expressed concerns about the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies, highlighting the risks posed by high market volatility. Meanwhile, the performance of meme coin $Trump launched by President Trump has attracted widespread attention. The token experienced severe price volatility when it debuted, with early investors making significant profits while later investors suffered significant losses. This chaotic trading model has raised questions about the integrity of such speculative assets, and the survey shows that many wallets associated with early transactions have experienced abnormal gains, while others have lost more than $2 billion. Some analysts liken this situation to a "pull up shipment" scam, calling for increased regulatory scrutiny. As the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, some financial experts are optimistic about potential regulatory improvements, believing that this may boost investor confidence. if