On Monday, a highly anticipated Twitter Spaces interview featuring former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk drew over a million listeners, as many in the crypto community hoped for significant commentary on the industry. However, expectations fell short when Trump did not address cryptocurrency during the conversation, despite the substantial interest and financial stakes involved.
The interview covered familiar political topics, including border security, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, immigration, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite the significant buildup, Trump's conversation steered clear of cryptocurrency, leaving many disappointed. More than $4 million was bet on Polymarket, with over $800,000 specifically staked on the mention of "crypto," but the term never surfaced.
Other notable keywords like “Tesla,” “Bitcoin,” and “crypto” were notably absent from Trump’s discourse. Instead, listeners heard mentions of “MAGA,” “illegal immigrant,” and “tampon,” the latter in reference to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s recent legislation on feminine hygiene products.
This omission is particularly notable given that Trump has recently shown interest in the crypto space. Earlier this year, he embraced crypto donations for his campaign and supported Bitcoin miners, even integrating crypto into his NFT collection. His campaign had hinted at a renewed focus on the crypto industry, which many expected to feature prominently in the discussion.
Adding to the frustration for many was the technical disruption that plagued the interview. Musk reported a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on the Twitter Spaces platform, which initially prevented some users from joining. Although the system had been tested with up to eight million nonconcurrent listeners earlier in the day, the attack caused significant delays. When the interview resumed, the number of listeners quickly exceeded one million, but technical issues persisted, impacting many users’ ability to access the live recording.
Despite the technical setbacks and the missed opportunity to hear Trump's views on crypto, the interview's high-profile nature and the large listener count highlight the ongoing intersection between politics and the cryptocurrency world. As Trump continues his bid for the White House, the crypto community remains eager for more substantial engagement from political figures on the industry’s future.
August 2024, Cryptoniteuae