On Bitcoin’s 16th birthday, former U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his promise to end the government’s crackdown on cryptocurrency.
Trump’s message to Bitcoin supporters in the U.S. on the anniversary of Bitcoin’s whitepaper, written by its creator Satoshi Nakamoto, included a jab at political rival Kamala Harris.
The former president and current Republican candidate stated he would end the “war on crypto” and support Bitcoin innovation in the U.S. He also reiterated his plan to pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who is serving a life sentence.
Trump’s Bitcoin rhetoric came days before the U.S. general elections on Nov. 5. The Republican candidate has courted Bitcoin and crypto supporters for months, pledging to end government Bitcoin sales and dismiss Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler.
On the other side, Harris expressed support for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and a commitment to protect digital asset investors.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin adoption and price have continued to trend upward. Ahead of the U.S. election, supporters suggested that Bitcoin would succeed regardless of the victor. Sixteen years after Satoshi’s whitepaper release, Bitcoin remains one of the best-performing assets of the past decade, with a 192% increase year-to-date, compared to the S&P 500’s 36% gain.
Corporate holders like Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy rushed to buy more Bitcoin through capital raises. Spot BTC exchange-traded funds on Wall Street made history, as BlackRock’s fund became the fastest-growing ETF, and investors parked over $72 billion in BTC investment products.
