U.S. President Donald Trump criticised the banking sector at a closed-door event for blocking cryptocurrency legislation and reaffirmed his determination to push a market structure bill.

CoinDesk, a blockchain media outlet, reported on April 25 that Trump said at an event at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, that he would stand up to opposition from bank lobbyists over the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.

The event was held for hundreds of top holders of the meme coin Official Trump (TRUMP). Trump said he would continue the line taken by White House crypto advisers and would not let banks derail a market structure bill seen as a key legislative task for the cryptocurrency industry.

In recent months, congressional discussions have highlighted banks' concerns that stablecoin reward programmes could threaten the existing deposit base. Some senators aligned with the banking sector's argument, putting the brakes on Senate talks aimed at building a new crypto regulatory framework. Still, based on the latest negotiation trend, there remains a possibility the bill will get back on track, and Trump's remarks again confirmed he sees it as a priority.

Trump also claimed at the event that the United States is at the forefront of cryptocurrency. "We are the leader of crypto. It has now become mainstream," he said, again putting forward a pro-crypto message and making policy priorities clear.

The list of attendees also drew market attention. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino (파올로 아르도이노), Cathie Wood of Ark Invest, and Nathan McCauley of Anchorage Digital attended. Boxer Mike Tyson also attended. The event was a finance-focused closed-door gathering promoted as the "most exclusive conference in the world."

Questions over conflicts of interest between Trump's cryptocurrency business and policy remain a continuing controversy. Trump continues to support cryptocurrency businesses linked to his name, and those personal ties have been cited as one of the issues in discussions over the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. Democratic Party negotiators are demanding measures to prevent senior public officials, including the president, from profiting from the industry.

There was also backlash when Trump attended an event for meme coin investors last year. Democrats at the time criticised it as an example of government corruption, saying Trump's policy goals were structured to benefit his business interests. His closed-door meetings with unnamed overseas businesspeople were also raised as a problem. Critics said people effectively paid to gain access.

At the event, Trump mentioned Iran, Venezuela and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in addition to cryptocurrency. He called NATO a "paper tiger" and said it "does not exist for us." The core of the event, however, was his direct statement of support for crypto legislation and a market structure overhaul. That is expected to keep attention on how bill negotiations in Congress will overcome bank opposition and conflict-of-interest controversy.