Crypto skeptics are forced to recalibrate their stance, with Bitcoin surging past 71,000 USD and making its way to American households. One prominent disbeliever, Donald Trump, has already softened his viewpoint on the issue, suggesting he wouldn’t crack down on cryptocurrencies if he became president. Still, the former US president can’t stand the thought of any real alternative for the US dollar.
In a recent interview for CNBC, the politician shared his current opinion on crypto, sharply denying that he had ever invested in BTC. He acknowledged, though, that Bitcoin, as well as other cryptocurrencies, have become a viable payment option for many people. “Well, it’s taken its own life,” he said, calling Bitcoin “an additional form of currency.”
Trump’s disapproval of crypto has clearly waned in recent times, not least due to the fact he’s been fighting for votes. The crypto-embracing electorate is growing in size and becoming hard to neglect. Once a Bitcoin basher, the ex-, and perhaps soon-to-be, US president has drifted towards vague neutrality and changed his tone of voice. In his eccentric style, Trump has described Bitcoin and the rest of the field as “crazy new currencies” and compared them to one of his business endeavors.
The businessmen-turned-politician launched a limited-edition sneaker run, releasing 1,000 pairs. So many people got into the hype that the last pair of shoes sold for 450,000 USD, Trump recounts. The way he relishes his minor success and juxtaposes it with the crypto market may indicate that he reveals a modicum of affinity for crypto as a business experiment.
Still, it may be too far-fetched a supposition, considering Trump’s dollar “supremacism.” The ex-president is utterly clear about his strong support for the US national currency on American soil and elsewhere.
“I hate when countries go off the dollar. I would not allow countries to go off the dollar, because when we lose that standard that will be like losing a revolutionary war. That will be a hit to our country just like losing a war,” he declared.
Trump also expressed anxiety that too many countries are currently trying to get rid of the dollar, opting for an alternative currency in international settlements – a clear hint at BRICS’ attempts at de-dollarization as a way to reduce dependence on the US and exposure to dollar exchange rate fluctuations.
Crypto may not be Donald Trump’s soft spot, but it’s worth reminding that the politician earned quite an amount on the NFT market. In 2022, he launched a set of 45,000 digital collectibles depicting himself as a superhero draped in cheesy spandex which sold out in less than 12 hours and brought in 4.45 million USD.
