In a highly anticipated interview on Monday evening, former President Donald Trump spoke with Elon Musk, CEO of X, for over two hours, covering topics ranging from illegal immigration to the economy, artificial intelligence and global warming.
However, despite high expectations and significant wagers, Trump did not mention Bitcoin BTC/USD or cryptocurrency during the discussion.
What Happened: The interview, which attracted over 1 million listeners, was delayed by more than 45 minutes, Coindesk reported.
Musk attributed the delay to a “massive [distributed denial of service] attack on X,” a claim that has been met with skepticism.
While Musk suggested that the attack was an attempt to prevent Trump from speaking, a source from The Verge disputed this, suggesting there was a “99 percent chance Musk was lying” about the attack.
Cybersecurity organization NetBlocks reported international outages on X Spaces but did not confirm the occurrence of a DDoS attack.
In the lead-up to the interview, prediction markets on Polymarket were abuzz, with bettors placing over $600,000 on the likelihood that Trump would mention “crypto” during the conversation.
The probability of a mention peaked at 65%, while another market specifically focusing on “Bitcoin” saw odds rise to 69%, with around $330,000 wagered.
Polymarket also hosted markets on other potential words Trump might use, such as “Tesla,” “MAGA” and “illegal immigrant,” leading to significant speculation and betting activity.
Also Read: Liquidators Pursue $1.3B From TerraForm Labs After Three Arrows Capital Collapse: Report
One bettor, using the handle ‘bama1234,’ managed to walk away with over $1 million by correctly predicting many of the words Trump did or did not say during the interview.
Their largest win came from betting that Trump would not mention “crypto,” earning them a payout of $336,918.
However, the bettor miscalculated on other predictions, such as Trump mentioning “MAGA,” which he did early in the interview, and “Trans,” which Trump did not bring up.
While Trump has engaged with the cryptocurrency community in the past, notably appearing at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville to discuss crypto policy, the topic remains conspicuously absent from mainstream events like this interview and the first presidential debate in June.
What’s Next: As the intersection of cryptocurrency and politics continues to evolve, these issues are expected to be a significant focus at Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19, where industry experts will delve into the implications of digital assets in the political arena.
Read Next:
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
