Throughout 2025, the Trump administration enacted a series of impactful policies aimed at stimulating growth and asserting domestic control across multiple sectors. Focused primarily on advancing technological innovation, protecting local manufacturing, and reforming healthcare costs, these measures have contributed to pronounced movements within financial markets.
One of the administration's hallmark efforts was to position the United States as a global leader in digital assets. In late January 2025, an executive order titled Digital Financial Technology was introduced, establishing a national digital asset reserve and instituting a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for stablecoins. This policy shift created a more favorable environment for cryptocurrencies, directly contributing to Bitcoin soaring past the $100,000 mark. Market responses included heightened investor interest in crypto-related equities, notably shares of Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) and Strategy, Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR), with these companies experiencing substantial capital inflows following the improved regulatory clarity.
The drone industry also experienced significant stimulation due to executive actions in June, specifically through two orders: Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty. These directives mandated a strict procurement policy prioritizing American-made drones within all federal acquisitions, effectively barring foreign-produced drones, mainly targeting Chinese manufacturers, from participation in critical infrastructure operations. Concurrently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was instructed to expedite regulations enabling beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. This development unlocked commercial opportunities in fields such as long-distance delivery and industrial inspections.
Investor enthusiasm followed the regulatory support, with capital flowing into drone-focused companies. Notably, AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) and Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCAT) saw steady share price appreciation during the summer months. Additionally, firms integrating drone technologies, like Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXON), reached record-high valuations as they expanded contracts involving National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant drone swarms to enhance public safety capabilities. Toward the end of 2025, the administration announced plans to acquire 300,000 low-cost, expendable drones for the Department of Defense, signaling a strategic investment in this sector and underlining its anticipated growth prospects within defense and logistics domains.
Healthcare markets encountered considerable turbulence driven by two critical executive orders enacted in May. The first, signed on May 5th, granted regulatory relief to accelerate permitting for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, supporting the administration's agenda to enhance local production capabilities. Shortly thereafter, on May 12th, a move-favored-nation pricing order was signed, linking U.S. prescription drug prices to the lowest prices paid by other advanced economies. This initiative sent reverberations through the biopharma industry, particularly impacting pricing strategies and revenue models.
Market activity reflected these changes: shares of pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) were notably active due to significant deals with the administration's TrumpRx platform to provide glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications domestically. Conversely, leading health insurance providers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) experienced downward pressure, with shares dropping nearly 10% in a single day in December following signals from the administration about potential mandates to reduce insurance premiums. These policy dynamics rendered healthcare one of the most volatile and closely watched sectors throughout 2025.
Overall, the combination of deregulation in emerging technology sectors, protectionist procurement mandates, and aggressive pricing reforms sculpted a distinct economic landscape, influencing investor decisions and sector trajectories. The administration's approach fostered robust activity in cryptocurrencies, invigorated domestic drone manufacturing and regulation, and generated mixed reactions within the healthcare industry amid cost-containment efforts.