Arthur Hayes: Does the election outcome matter for crypto?
11/06/2024 03:02Hayes highlights debt issues and Fed policy ahead of the presidential election, emphasizing their importance for the crypto markets
Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, predicts that the U.S. presidential election will likely be "irrelevant" for cryptocurrency markets, as both candidates are likely to pursue similar economic policies.
"Whoever wins doesn't really matter," Hayes said. "Their economic policies are pretty much constrained by the mathematics of the U.S. debt decision and the desire of the elites in America to continue attempting to be a military superpower.. I don't think they have much choice in what they do... They're going to pursue the same policies, and so I think it's a bit irrelevant."
While Hayes pointed out that bitcoin will probably remain "unchanged" or go "slightly down" under a potential Kamala Harris administration, he noted that both candidates have held office and not done much for bitcoin. "Trump was in office for four years - he did nothing for crypto," Hayes said. "Kamala Harris has been in office for the past four years – she has done nothing for crypto."
"The government apparatus — whether Democrat or Republican, and at the regulatory agencies — have their own agenda," Hayes pointed out.
Hayes cautioned against believing campaign promises related to cryptocurrency, stating, "Anyone who claimed that Trump is pro-bitcoin has just fallen into listening to this siren song of him saying the right things because he wants your vote and wants your money."
Looking beyond the election, Hayes emphasized that his outlook for 2025 depends on how much money is printed by governments around the world. "We know the bitcoin technology is solid, that's not really the question here," he explained. "The question is how much money is the United States going to print, how much is China going to print, how much is Japan going to print, how much is the Euro zone going to print? Those four blocs are the most important."
Hayes advised against trying to trade bitcoin based on election outcomes, calling it "a fool's errand." Instead, he suggests focusing on the broader economic landscape and monetary policies that will shape bitcoin's future in the coming years.
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