Bitcoin and other risk assets have become increasingly sensitive to statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, with markets often swinging up or down within minutes of his social media posts or political media announcements.
This has attracted the attention of lawmakers, academics and market experts, as questions mount over whether these price movements have created lucrative opportunities for market manipulation or insider trading.
A recent study from the University of Oxford Law School found sharp swings in global markets following rapid changes in U.S. tariff policy, including a sequence in which cryptocurrency and stock market prices fell after new tariffs were announced, then rebounded after Trump partially reversed them days later.
The scale and timing of these moves, the author noted, created “fantastic business opportunities” for anyone with advanced knowledge of the decisions. Furthermore, this back-and-forth by Trump has been widely criticized as the Trump Again Chickens Out (TACO) dynamic.
“A good time to buy”
The issue gained more attention after Trump posted “IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BUY!! on Truth Social in April 2025, shortly before announcing a tariff adjustment that sent markets soaring, prompting lawmakers including Sen. Adam Schiff to call for an investigation. possible insider trading or market manipulation.
Analysts, pundits and media outlets have highlighted patterns of large and timely trading in commodity and prediction markets, in some cases placed minutes before major political or military announcements.
“Many experts say the Trump administration engaged in market manipulation,” according to a March episode of CBC’s Front Burner, which highlighted the unusually massively profitable trading in oil futures ahead of announcements related to the war with Iran.
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch raised similar concerns. He said trading activities related to Trump’s major announcements “have raised serious concerns about insider trading and market manipulation by government officials in possession of sensitive national security information.”
There is no evidence that Trump or his administration violated securities laws or deliberately manipulated markets for personal gain, but the growing number of unusually opportune market moves, combined with the administration’s direct influence on politics, geopolitics and regulation, has fueled a broader debate over whether the line between political decision-making and market impact is becoming increasingly blurred.
Here are five highlights when the price of bitcoin rose or fell due to a Trump statement or social media post, from 2019’s “Genesis” skepticism to 2026 naval blockades.
Top Five BTC Price Fluctuations
1. July 11, 2019 — The Genesis Post “Not a fan.” In his first direct attack on the asset class, Trump posted on Twitter: “I’m not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are not money…and are based on nothing.” » Bitcoin fell 7.1% in the 45 minutes following the discussion.
2. March 3, 2025 – The pivot of the strategic reserve. After a year of campaigning for cryptocurrency, Trump confirmed via Truth Social that his “national strategic cryptocurrency reserve” would include a multi-asset basket of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Bitcoin jumped 8.2% in less than 24 hours, from $84,000 to over $91,000.
3. October 10, 2025 — 100% tariffs on China. In another Truth Social article, Trump announced a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports to counter Beijing’s rare earth export controls. Bitcoin fell 12.4% in about two hours from its all-time high of $124,714 to $102,000. And within 24 hours, a $19.38 billion liquidation took place, marking the largest single-day destruction in the asset’s history.
4. March 3, 2026 – Post anti-bank “Genius Act”. Trump once again took to Truth Social to criticize Wall Street banks for “undermining” the Genius Act and delaying passage of the Clarity Act’s Stable Coin Yield Provisions. Bitcoin rose 5.2% in 10 minutes to $71,000. This moment highlighted the administration’s willingness to go to war against the old financial system to protect the crypto sector.
5. April 14, 2026 — The peace talks. After the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said Iran had “extended its hand” for possible peace negotiations and that a deal was “entirely possible.” Bitcoin rose 6.2% in 30 minutes, from $70,000 to almost $75,000.
This could happen again
Bitcoin hit a more than two-month high above $78,000 on Friday after Trump essentially announced the end of the war and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Yet in the end, questions were already being asked about what exactly the United States and Iran had agreed to.
On Saturday morning, the Iranian military said the strait was closed again and that some ships had turned around and others had come under fire. Cryptocurrency prices quickly gave back Friday’s gains, with bitcoin falling back below $76,000.
