Trump's State of the Union Lacked Bitcoin Mention, Yet BTC Rallies

Crypto markets shrug off Trump's silence on crypto, as Bitcoin surges amid broader market optimism.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Despite President Donald Trump's record-breaking 107-minute State of the Union address on Tuesday, he did not mention Bitcoin (BTC) or cryptocurrency. However, the world's largest cryptocurrency rallied to $69,000 the following day, defying expectations. The rally was driven by factors like renewed spot Bitcoin ETF inflows, short liquidations, and a broader risk-on sentiment in the markets.

Why it matters

The lack of any crypto-related comments from Trump during his speech was surprising, given the growing mainstream adoption and regulatory scrutiny of the industry. However, the market's positive reaction suggests that Bitcoin's performance is increasingly decoupled from political rhetoric and is more influenced by broader economic and market trends.

The details

Traders on the prediction market Polymarket had only assigned a 27% chance of Trump mentioning Bitcoin or crypto during his speech. The rally was also fueled by over $380 million in short liquidations and renewed inflows into Bitcoin ETFs, which had seen five consecutive weeks of outflows prior to this bounce. The broader risk-on sentiment in the markets, with the Nasdaq up over 1% and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index in 'Extreme Fear' territory, also contributed to the BTC price surge.

  • President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.
  • Bitcoin rallied to $69,000 on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, the day after Trump's speech.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who delivered the record-breaking 107-minute State of the Union address without mentioning Bitcoin or cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin (BTC)

The world's largest cryptocurrency, which rallied to $69,000 on the day after Trump's speech despite his lack of any crypto-related comments.

Polymarket

A prediction market platform where traders had only assigned a 27% chance of Trump mentioning Bitcoin or crypto during his State of the Union address.

Coinglass

A platform that reported nearly $380 million in Bitcoin short liquidations within 24 hours, contributing to the cryptocurrency's price surge.

Nvidia Corp

The tech company whose upcoming earnings report was cited as contributing to the broader risk-on sentiment in the markets, which pulled crypto prices higher alongside equities.

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What they’re saying

“Crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen warned Wednesday that BTC is closely mirroring price behavior seen in prior midterm-year bear markets, specifically 2014, 2018 and 2022: weakness into February, a brief rally in early March, then another leg lower into spring.”

— Benjamin Cowen, Crypto Analyst (Benzinga)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This rally in Bitcoin, driven by factors like ETF flows and broader market optimism, highlights the cryptocurrency's growing resilience to political rhetoric. While Trump's silence on crypto was surprising, the market's positive reaction suggests that Bitcoin's performance is increasingly influenced by broader economic and financial trends rather than specific political events.