Bitcoin Under Trump Vs Biden: Who Actually Helped Crypto the Most?
Few topics divide the crypto industry more than politics. Donald Trump is often referred to as “America’s first crypto president,” while the Biden administration earned a reputation for being hostile toward the sector.
But when rhetoric is stripped away and replaced with market data, the picture becomes more nuanced. The key question is not which administration spoke more favorably about crypto, but under whose leadership Bitcoin ultimately performed better.
Bitcoin Performance: The Numbers Tell a Clear StoryIn the 2024 United States presidential election, Trump positioned himself as a pro-crypto candidate, vowing to make the US the “crypto capital of the world.” He promised to halt anti-crypto actions, rein in SEC crackdowns, and, in his own words:
“End Joe Biden’s war on crypto and we will ensure that the future of crypto and the future of Bitcoin will be made in America.”
This fueled optimism in the market and ignited hopes for a bull run. Fast forward to near the end of 2025, and Bitcoin is down nearly 5%.
The most “pro-crypto” presidency ever.
Every major token down since inauguration. $BTC pic.twitter.com/b1sXRNlqw7
By comparison, during Biden’s first year as president, the world’s largest cryptocurrency gained roughly 65%. Performance weakened in 2022, but momentum returned in the following years.
Bitcoin rebounded strongly, rising approximately 155% in 2023 and a further 120.7% in 2024.
YearBitcoin return (%)202165%2022– 64.2%2023155%2024120.7%2025 (As of December 26)-5%When examining Trump’s first term as president, an analyst noted that it was “the greatest crypto bull run” in history, during which the total cryptocurrency market capitalization increased by roughly 115 times from the beginning of his term to its end.
“Biden’s term returned 4.5x from beginning to end, and even at the worst moment, it never went below the annual open for his term. Trump’s 2nd term so far is below annual open, but 3 more years to go,” the pseudonymous analyst wrote.
Bitcoin Under TrumpSo what actually happened this year? The pullback is not something that can be understood by looking at headline 2025 returns alone.
In January, momentum was broadly on Bitcoin’s side. Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, BTC rallied above $109,000, marking a new all-time high at the time. There were also developments on the regulatory side, with the SEC creating a task force to offer a transparent regulatory framework for digital assets.
Nonetheless, Trump’s next moves erased all these gains. After he announced tariffs on the EU and later expanded on them at Liberation Day, cryptocurrency markets declined alongside equities.
Notably, the announcement of a pause led to a modest recovery. This highlighted the market’s sensitivity to broader macroeconomic developments and pointed to increased volatility.
CRYPTO MARKETS SOAR ON 90-DAY TRUMP TARIFF PAUSE pic.twitter.com/jXXiU992XF
— Nick O’Neill (@chooserich) April 9, 2025Meanwhile, adoption continued to rise as state-level Bitcoin reserve initiatives and institutional involvement increased. Bitcoin’s price continued to trend higher, posting positive returns for four consecutive months from April through July.
A key trend during this period was the emergence of digital asset treasuries (DATs). Public companies increasingly began adopting Bitcoin as a reserve asset, following the playbook popularized by Micro (Strategy).
Bitcoin benefited from this shift, as many experts argued institutional involvement could help reduce volatility and signal the asset’s maturation within traditional finance.
As confidence grew, so did the risk appetite and the use of leverage. High-risk, highly leveraged traders drew widespread attention. On the macroeconomic front, the Fed slashed interest rates in September. This was again bullish for risk assets.
Bitcoin went on to reach a new all-time high in October, peaking at $125,761 on October 6. Many projected further upside, with targets ranging from $185,000 to $200,000 by year-end.
This optimism was supported by favorable macroeconomic catalysts and Bitcoin’s historically strong performance during the fourth quarter.
BeInCrypto reported that on October 11, Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs on China pulled the market lower. Over $19 billion in leveraged positions were wiped out, resulting in significant losses for many traders.