Trump-Musk X Space Conversation Overlooks Bitcoin and Crypto

In an event that had many on the edge of their seats, former President Donald Trump joined X CEO Elon Musk for an extended conversation on X Spaces. While the duo delved into topics ranging from global warming to artificial intelligence, one anticipated topic was notably absent: Bitcoin and crypto. This omission has left many in the cryptocurrency community wondering about the current and future role of digital assets in mainstream discourse.

The discussion, which drew over a million listeners, was delayed by more than 45 minutes. Musk, addressing the delay, claimed that a “massive distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack” had targeted the platform, possibly aimed at silencing Trump. “This massive attack shows there’s significant opposition to letting President Trump speak,” Musk stated during the event.

However, skepticism surrounded Musk’s explanation. A report from The Verge highlighted that a source questioned Musk’s claim, suggesting a “99 percent chance Musk was lying” about the nature of the disruption. Meanwhile, NetBlocks, a cybersecurity monitoring organization, reported international outages on X Spaces but stopped short of confirming if a DDOS attack was responsible.

Bitcoin and Crypto: Crypto Community Left Hanging

Leading up to the conversation, the crypto community speculated on whether Trump would mention Bitcoin or crypto. On Polymarket, a prediction market platform, bets were placed with a 65 percent probability that “crypto” would come up in the discussion. Over $600,000 was staked on this possibility. Similarly, the likelihood of “Bitcoin” being mentioned saw predictions peaking at 69 percent, with around $330,000 on the line.

Polymarket offers users the chance to earn $1 in USDC, a stablecoin tied to the U.S. dollar, for each correct prediction. If the prediction fails, the wagered amount is lost. Interestingly, the platform did not offer markets for mentions of other digital assets like Ether, Solana, or Dogecoin, focusing solely on Bitcoin or crypto.

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As the conversation continued, it became evident that Bitcoin and crypto would not be part of the discussion, disappointing many in the crypto space. Yet, one Polymarket user, known as ‘bama1234’, successfully predicted Trump’s silence on the matter, leading to a significant payout. This individual walked away with just over $1 million, with $336,918 earned from correctly betting that Trump would avoid the term “crypto.”

While the exclusion of Bitcoin and crypto from the conversation was unexpected, Polymarket bettors found other opportunities to engage. Participants wagered on specific words they thought Trump might or might not say during the interview.

One term that saw considerable betting was “Tesla,” which peaked at 79 percent with over $250,000 wagered. However, Trump avoided the term, opting to refer to Musk’s company as “your cars” instead. Other words that attracted heavy betting included “MAGA,” “illegal immigrant,” and “tampon,” all of which Trump mentioned during the conversation. Notably, ‘bama1234’ lost a bet predicting Trump would say “MAGA” and “Trans,” marking a rare miss in an otherwise successful night.

The absence of Bitcoin and crypto from this high-profile discussion has led to renewed debates about the prominence of digital assets in political conversations. Although Trump has interacted with the crypto community before, including announcing his crypto policy at the BTC 2024 conference in Nashville, these issues remain peripheral in significant political events.

This latest omission serves as a stark reminder that while digital assets are increasingly influential, their place in mainstream political discourse is still uncertain. As the 2024 election approaches, the crypto community will be watching closely, anticipating when and how Bitcoin and crypto will feature in the debates shaping the future of the U.S.

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