Knowing decisions that will influence entire economic sectors is the dream of many investors. In this context, Donald Trump has become a key figure whose posts can literally shift markets.
Trump reportedly owns around $870 million in bitcoin through his stake in Trump Media, making him one of the largest private holders of the cryptocurrency in the US. He has a 41% stake in the company that owns Truth Social. In July 2025, Trump Media purchased $2 billion worth of bitcoin, effectively transforming the social network into a crypto investment fund.
A single Trump post can move the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by billions in minutes. For example, when he announced new tariffs on China in October, bitcoin dropped by $20,000 within hours, while alternative coins fell by 80-90%. In just 24 hours, $19 billion worth of positions were liquidated—the largest event of its kind in the market's history.
Shortly before such posts, unknown traders opened massive short positions worth hundreds of millions, profiting tens to hundreds of millions from market crashes triggered by Trump's statements. This has led to widespread suspicions of potential insider trading and ongoing investigations, although the legality is debated.
The possible scheme: Trump Media sells part of its position, then Trump issues a market-crashing post; insiders short and profit, the company buys up cheap bitcoin, and a subsequent optimistic post drives prices back up. Such manipulation remains technically legal, as the US president is immune to most conflict-of-interest laws.
Academic research shows that negative sentiment in Trump’s posts correlates with bitcoin's growth the next day, and price swings after his statements often reach 15-30% within 24 hours. Institutional bots react instantly, while thousands of retail investors lose out.
The main question is whether it is ethical for one person to have such influence on the global financial market, effectively undermining the foundational ideas of cryptocurrency decentralization.
