During his first term as the president of the United States, Donald Trump was against crypto. But by the time he was campaigning for a second term, he was promising to make America "crypto ca
During his first term as the president of the United States, Donald Trump was against crypto. But by the time he was campaigning for a second term, he was promising to make America "crypto capital of the planet".
A $1,000 Bitcoin purchase on Trump's first inauguration day in 2017 would now be worth about $95,600. The same amount invested when he was sworn in for his second term would be worth $838. That is a loss of roughly 16%.
Here's the math:
The second inauguration came at a very different time.
Jan. 20, 2025: Bitcoin hit a then-record above $109,000 that morning before closing at about $102,000.
In 2017, Bitcoin was still a small asset, worth about $14 billion in total, with plenty of room to grow. By 2025, the price had already soared on hopes that Trump's pro-crypto promises would lift the market.
That optimism faded. By Feb. 25, 2025, Bitcoin had dropped below $86,000, nearly 20% off the record above $109,000 it set on Inauguration Day. It went on to hit a new high of $126,198 in October 2025, but has since fallen back to around its February 2025 levels.
Both investors bought on Inauguration Day under the same president. One made nearly 100 times their money, while the other is still waiting to break even.
The difference came down to timing.
Related: Michael Saylor calls it a Bitcoin 'gold rush,' sees $120 trillion upside
