The cryptocurrency market roared into March with a powerful rally, quickly recovering some losses from its worst month since 2022. The surge followed comments from President Donald Trump, who once again championed his plan for a US Strategic Crypto Reserve.
The price of Bitcoin fell 17.5% in February, the biggest monthly drop since June 2022, according to media reports.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump detailed the digital assets he envisioned including in the reserve.
In a Sunday Truth Social post, Trump said the executive order on crypto “directed the Presidential Working Group to move forward on a Crypto Strategic Reserve that includes XRP, SOL, and ADA.”
A second Truth Social post, published a little more than an hour later, added: “obviously, BTC and ETH, as other valuable Cryptocurrencies, will be at the heart of the Reserve. I also love Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
The announcement spurred a rally in the market, with Bitcoin spiking by 10% and Ether by nearly 13%, with tokens like Cardano and Solana also making substantial gains.
According to CoinMarketCap, the tokens mentioned in Trump’s announcement are all among the top eight cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation. Notably absent from the list were stablecoins like Tether and USDC, along with Binance’s token BNB.
“The crypto market gained strong momentum as Trump announced the Strategic Crypto Reserve, including tokens like XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA), along with Bitcoin and Ethereum. This move triggered a turnaround performance in the market, with major coins rising upto 60% in 24 hours. With expectations to drive global adoption of crypto reserves, this move could accelerate the mainstream integration of crypto as we move towards a digital economy. With BTC trading above $90,000, the announcement has given BTC the strength for a decisive move towards the $100k mark. However, investors must keep a close eye on the market for any pullback in the short term,” said Edul Patel, cofounder and CEO Of Mudrex
US Strategic Crypto Reserve: What is it
The US Strategic Crypto Reserve refers to the idea of the United States government creating a reserve of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, within a government-controlled fund. This will be similar to how it holds gold or other financial reserves. However, this concept hasn’t been officially implemented yet. This reserve could act as a hedge against inflation.
US Strategic Crypto Reserve: How will it help?
- By holding crypto assets, the US government could diversify its portfolio
- A substantial stake in the crypto market could give the US greater influence over the cryptocurrency ecosystem and its regulation.
- It could also help stabilise cryptocurrencies’ value, especially during extreme volatility.
US Strategic Crypto Reserve: Impact on cryptocurrency prices
- Establishing a US Strategic Crypto Reserve could reduce some of the volatility in the crypto market.
- This could significantly influence market sentiment, potentially increasing investor confidence in cryptocurrencies.
- A US-backed crypto reserve might encourage other governments or institutions to consider cryptocurrencies a serious financial asset.
Trump won support from the crypto industry in his 2024 election bid and has quickly moved to back their policy priorities. He is hosting the first White House Crypto Summit on Friday.
The contours of a US crypto reserve is yet unclear, but Donald Trump’s executive order on January 23, directing the creation of a “working group” to propose a regulatory framework on digital assets, hints it would be “potentially derived” from cryptocurrency the federal government has seized, Forbes reported. Forbes quoted a New York Times report in January, which said the federal government already has an estimated $19 billion in bitcoin that it has seized.