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Bitcoin pulling back after touching fresh all-time highs last week, the cryptocurrency trading just above 107,000 right now. This is top government officials and crypto heavyweights attend the 2025 Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas. Joining me now, on the ground, we've got Chris Klein, Bitcoin IRA co-founder and COO. Chris, good to have you here with us. Just want to start with some of the key takeaways from the energy on the ground there.

Absolutely. Well, as you can see behind me, this is the line forming for uh Vice President JD Vance will be taking the stage here in about 15, 20 minutes. It actually goes downstairs, wraps around the expo and almost to the casino floor. So, lots of energy and enthusiasm. Interestingly enough, I'm seeing a lot more sport coats this year. That's why I put one on today, which I think is indicative of the big banks retail or the institutional players that are really starting to show up big here in the crypto space.

All right, more sport coats, fewer hoodies, it sounds like. Okay, so that is the at least attire vibe that we've seen a massive shift in here. As as you know that more companies are moving to hold Bitcoin on their balance sheet too. We we know that there are recent announcements that are probably knocking around and being talked about there on the ground as well. Trump media raising $2.5 billion by Bitcoin, GameStop announcing their first Bitcoin purchase. How how should retail investors think about these names and how is it being discussed there?

Yeah, it seems to be this race to reserve is still carrying forward. Uh the announcements out of DJT and GameStop this morning, uh clearly indicate that we're at a space where people are racing to put this on the balance sheet. And it's not just a Bitcoin play. Uh you see groups uh Ethereum and Solana starting to capture the attention. Uh this is a conversation, not just a theory, that's happening in boardrooms across America. Uh Michael Sailor's strategy is really proven this to be a solid practice. Uh and it should be very interesting to see where we'll be towards the end of this year when we start getting earnings reports from this.

You know, one of our news heads here was talking earlier within within the newsroom just about this premium that typically gets annexed to some of the companies when they add Bitcoin to their balance sheet. Why why do you think that is?

Oh, I think it's I mean, any business that's in the Bitcoin space is also getting premiums right now. I just had the pleasure of having dinner and drinks with the president, CEO of eToro here in the United States. So, in general, with the hype and the expected price movements ahead, as we were talking about when I saw you last month, my target's 180,000 for this year. Uh that's a huge growth in the balance sheet for these groups, and I think it's getting priced into their models.

You know, as we're continuing to see visuals of the line forming behind you, and that is for Vice President JD Vance, as we think about the number of different profiles that have tried to either annex themselves to the crypto growth that we've seen, or be the face of crypto. There's none more so that's trying to do that than the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and President Donald Trump. Is that net good or bad from what you're hearing talked about at the conference, especially knowing that there are past profiles that have had tragic falls uh over the course of their own professionalism and lack thereof, I should say, within the crypto space?

Yeah, absolutely. You know, I was in Nashville last year. This is my fourth conference. And I think a lot of the buzz around, because Donald Trump actually joined us as a candidate then, uh it was a lot more, even the audience, you felt there was a segment that was uh folks that were there for Trump and then folks that were there for Bitcoin. This year, with JD Vance joining us, and this administration overall is showing, at least indications that they're going to be more pro-crypto and friendly to us as we move forward, which is in stark contrast to what we saw four years ago in the last administration. But hope isn't a strategy. Uh most folks that are looking at Bitcoin are are in 20, 30, sometimes 40-year cycles that they they're just holding and hodling and waiting until that moment in time where maybe we'll reach a million dollar Bitcoin or a $10 million Bitcoin. Uh and so we're going to have a lot of administrations between then and now. Uh and so it's hope is not a strategy. Building out and doing things like retirement planning with crypto are great tools to use to your advantage. But yes, it's it's going to be interesting to see how it all hashes out across the next few months.

And so what is the best way for someone who is just trying to figure out what their exposure to cryptocurrency and to Bitcoin should be, if they're early innings in building out that portion of their portfolio and trying to figure out should I buy uh shares of a company that's publicly traded that holds Bitcoin on the balance sheet versus buying an ETF versus buying the cryptocurrency directly?

Well, you know, that's great, a great question because we're seeing all three of those channels uh live here today at the conference. You've got uh sponsorships from some of the ETFs that are out there. Obviously, buying shares of a company that's also holding Bitcoin on the balance sheet. Those are great uh tools for you to get some access into it. But, you know, the pure and most um, I guess direct way is to get your hands on Bitcoin itself, the real thing, uh buying it directly through an exchange like Coinbase, or using it in your retirement savings plans with groups like us. All tools are great because they give you exposure to Bitcoin, but in different ways. Uh and let's not forget, alt season's around the corner. Bitcoin will have its runs, and alts will have their day in the sun uh here soon as well.

Chris, great to see you. Enjoy the conference out there. Look forward to seeing some of your updates online.

Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me today.