Goldman Sachs CEO "slaps himself in the face"? Previously ridiculed Bitcoin as "useless", now admits to holding it

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. CEO David Solomon, who had previously expressed doubts about the value of Bitcoin, has now become an owner of the asset. It was reported that Solomon revealed on February 18 at the "World Liberty Forum" technology and finance conference hosted by Donald Trump and Eric Trump in the Ocean Reef Club in Florida that he holds a "extremely limited" amount of Bitcoin. However, Solomon attributed this investment to personal curiosity rather than a strong confidence in the future of the asset. Reports quoted him as saying, "I am just an observer of Bitcoin." Nevertheless, this statement is in stark contrast to his stance in July 2024, when he described the asset as a "speculative investment" and stated that he did not see any real use cases. With the successful launch of a US Bitcoin ETF in January 2024 and a favorable cryptocurrency policy in Trump's second term, Wall Street's attitude towards cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has been gradually changing. Solomon denied at the forum that there is competition between cryptocurrency and traditional finance, emphasizing that tokens will play an "extremely important role." Solomon also called for the establishment of a regulatory framework to ensure that the United States is "on the right track" in the digital asset field. In an interview, he warned, "If someone expects to operate in a rule-less environment, they are mistaken such practitioners might consider relocating to El Salvador." This statement is in line with recent remarks from US Treasury Secretary Scott Benson. On February 5, Benson explicitly advocated for the push of the "Clarity Act" legislation process in front of the Senate Banking Committee, stating that practitioners who do not comply should consider moving to El Salvador. It is understood that the "Clarity Act" is currently under review in the US Senate. The House version of this cryptocurrency market regulation bill was passed in July 2024, but the Senate version has been stalled due to disputes over stablecoin reward mechanisms. The focus of the controversy lies in the concern of banks about the risk of outflows from community banks, while the cryptocurrency industry accuses traditional Financial Institutions, Inc. of trying to stifle competition. However, recent statements from Coinbase (COIN.US) CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse suggest that the deadlock may be broken. During the company's fourth quarter 2025 earnings call on February 12, Armstrong expressed optimism about the likelihood of the "Clarity Act" passing in the coming months. Garlinghouse, in an interview on February 19, stated that the probability of the bill passing before the end of April is as high as 90%. It has been reported that the White House has recently convened multiple coordination meetings to bridge the gap between the banking industry and the cryptocurrency industry.