According to CoinMeta, as reported by crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, before Trump delivered a speech with the crypto industry at the White House, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick held small-scale talks with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, a16z, Crypto, Chris Dixon, and co-chair Kraken of CEO Arjun Sethi. The discussions focused on promoting the passage of Clarity Act, attracting crypto companies and jobs back to the United States, as well as the ethical provisions and other obstacles currently facing the bill, and explored how the White House could facilitate bipartisan consensus.