E177: How dangerous is crypto's hold on politics?

Donald Trump in 2025: "I'm a big crypto fan. I've been that from the beginning."

Donald Trump in 2019: "I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air."

What changed? Whatever the answer, Trump is only the highest-profile example of a growing trend.

Our expert host, Robin Lycka, is joined by Peter Geoghegan, Director of Democracy for Sale, to ask: "how dangerous is crypto's hold on politics?"

They discuss how crypto money is reshaping politics, what makes it such an effective tool of influence, and what comes next for AML enforcement.

Executive Producer: Matthew Dunne-Miles

Video: Lois Dunford

Editor: Dominic Delargy

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The Laundry connects anti-money laundering, compliance and financial crime to the real world — the headlines, the regulation behind them, and what non-compliance actually costs.

Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser and Robin Lycka, each episode brings on practitioners from banking, fintech, regulators and investigative journalism to unpack what's actually happening in the industry.