Bitcoin rallies to record level ahead of Trump’s inauguration

01/20/2025 16:55
Bitcoin rallies to record level ahead of Trump’s inauguration

(Bloomberg) -- Bitcoin climbed to a fresh record as the US prepares to inaugurate Donald Trump to his second presidential term, following a weekend during which his own newly-launched digital token rattled crypto markets. Most Read from BloombergHow Sanctuary Cities Are Preparing for Another Showdown With TrumpNYC Commuters Get New Way to Dodge Traffic: $95 Helicopter RidesWhat LA’s Fires Mean for the City’s Housing ShortageScaramucci, Ackman Donate to Whitney Tilson’s NYC Mayoral RunDeadly Land

(Bloomberg) — Bitcoin (BTC-USD) climbed to a fresh record as the US prepares to inaugurate Donald Trump to his second presidential term, following a weekend during which his own newly-launched digital token rattled crypto markets.

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The original digital asset gained as much 5.5% to $109,241 on Monday. The rally came after Trump and his wife Melania unveiled memecoins, with Trump’s reaching a market capitalization of more than $15 billion on Sunday before declining sharply.

Bitcoin and other major tokens like Ether (ETH-USD) and XRP (XRP-USD) rose rapidly on Monday morning in London, with traders counting down the hours until Trump once again assumes control of the White House. Bloomberg News previously reported that he’s considering an executive order designating the asset class a “national priority.”

The new Trump tokens initially blindsided crypto markets by diverting investment flows from other tokens, and drew sharp criticism even from some industry executives. Yet investors eventually embraced the notion that Trump’s move will give him further incentive to embrace crypto-friendly policies.

Trump became an ardent supporter of the digital-assets industry on the campaign trail, after once having branded Bitcoin a scam. He has pledged to make the US the world’s crypto capital through policies that include the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin stockpile.

The tokens debuted by the Republican and his team have further accelerated Bitcoin’s momentum as retail traders look for his administration to “prioritize and reaffirm his commitment to the crypto industry,” said Ben El-Baz, managing director of HashKey Global.

Memecoins are a kind of cryptocurrency with questionable intrinsic value and high volatility that rely on social media tailwinds to drive up their price. Trump’s token briefly rattled the digital-asset market on Monday morning in Singapore, sapping flows from Bitcoin and smaller tokens while drawing criticism from industry executives, as well as immediate rebuke from government watchdogs.

An 80% share of the Trump token is owned by a Trump Organization affiliate called CIC Digital LLC, and a related entity called Fight Fight Fight LLC — whose name echoes the words Trump mouthed after a bullet grazed his ear during the campaign trail. Their holdings will be unlocked over a three-year period.

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