Bitcoin experienced sharp volatility early Friday, plunging from around $90,000 to as low as $84,875 before recovering to $86,656. The drop followed a major announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order on March 7, 2025, establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. As per the order, the reserve will consist of Bitcoin assets confiscated in criminal and civil cases, which will be held indefinitely and prohibited from sale. Additionally, discussions are underway to transfer Bitcoin held by various federal agencies into this new national reserve. Trump also mandated the creation of a separate vault for confiscated digital assets unrelated to Bitcoin. These assets may only be liquidated under exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Treasury Department. Bitcoin’s sudden decline was attributed to several factors. The market initially reacted negatively to the realization that the U.S. government would not be actively purchasing Bitcoin but merely holding seized assets. Furthermore, Trump’s executive order requires Congressional approval, which could take months. This uncertainty triggered a classic ‘sell the news’ reaction, leading to a sharp sell-off. The handling of Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset also raises significant concerns regarding security, regulatory oversight, and storage mechanisms. Unlike traditional reserves such as gold or oil, Bitcoin demands highly secure digital storage solutions, increasing the risk of cyber threats and logistical challenges in maintaining a national Bitcoin reserve. Despite the market turbulence, prominent Bitcoin advocate Max Keiser remains highly optimistic. “I predict we cross $100,000 in the next few hours and $120,000 this month.” He tweeted on Friday. Keiser, a well-known Bitcoin maximalist and advisor to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, has long championed Bitcoin as “digital gold” and a hedge against inflation. His confidence in Bitcoin’s potential has been unwavering. In December 2024, he made an even bolder prediction, forecasting that Bitcoin could eventually reach $2.2 million per coin, a tenfold increase from his previous target of $220,000 . Elsewhere, Swan Bitcoin CEO Corey Klippsten offered a more measured perspective, suggesting that Bitcoin has a 50% chance of surpassing its all-time high of $109,000 by June. He emphasized that traders need time to digest macroeconomic factors such as Trump’s proposed tariffs, trade tensions, and inflation risks. “ Bitcoin trading below $100,000 feels more like a pause than an end to the bull run,” Klippsten noted. Meanwhile, CryptoQuant analyst Ja Maartunn highlighted the potential long-term bullish impact of the U.S. holding Bitcoin as a reserve asset. “If the U.S. follows through with this, it could be a major bullish development for Bitcoin,” he stated . Currently, the U.S. government holds approximately 188,898 BTC ($18.14 billion), and securing these assets as part of a strategic reserve could significantly reduce future selling pressure. BTC was trading at $88,648 at press time, reflecting a 2.34% drop in the past 24 hours.
