Tag: hard

  • Bitcoin rises above $107K as Trump’s fiscal policy comments boost hard assets

    Bitcoin rises above $107K as Trump’s fiscal policy comments boost hard assets

    Bitcoin rises above $107K as Trump's fiscal policy comments boost hard assets

    • Bitcoin traded above $107K Sunday as focus turned to U.S. fiscal policy and Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
    • Trump urged “cost cutting Republicans” not to “go too crazy,” promising growth will “make it all up.”
    • Expectations of sustained deficits and loose fiscal policy are bolstering the bull case for hard assets like BTC and gold.

    Bitcoin traded steadily above the $107,000 mark on Sunday, with market attention increasingly focused on fiscal policy tensions brewing in Washington.

    A recent social media post from President Donald Trump, aimed at quelling dissent within his own party over a massive tax-and-spending package, has inadvertently bolstered the bullish case for assets like Bitcoin and gold, which are often seen as hedges against fiscal profligacy.

    The latest market movements come as Bitcoin was changing hands at $107,937 as of 22:22 UTC on Sunday, up 0.54% over the past 24 hours.

    Price action remained volatile, with the cryptocurrency fluctuating between $107,194 and $108,489 during that window, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis model.

    The focus shifted to US fiscal policy following a pointed message from President Trump on his Truth Social platform on June 29, 2025.

    Addressing Republican lawmakers amid a fierce internal debate over his sweeping legislative package, Trump wrote:

    For all cost cutting Republicans, of which I am one, REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected. Don’t go too crazy! We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before.

    This statement lays bare the deep divisions within the Republican party as it struggles to unify behind the ambitious legislation, which has been dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

    The bill itself, exceeding 900 pages, is a complex mix of fiscal measures.

    It combines approximately $3.8 trillion in tax cuts with targeted spending reductions and increased funding for defense and border security.

    A key component is the aim to make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime pay, and certain auto loans.

    The child tax credit would also rise to $2,200 under the Senate version, while deductions for seniors would be temporarily increased.

    To offset the cost of these tax cuts, however, Republicans have proposed significant cuts to Medicaid and nutrition programs, a move that has sparked intense debate within the party.

    Navigating a political tightrope

    The path to passing the bill is fraught with political challenges.

    Moderate Republicans, particularly those from high-tax states, are pushing for a higher cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions.

    In contrast, conservative factions are demanding deeper and more extensive spending cuts, with a particular focus on Medicaid.

    These internal disagreements are complicating efforts to secure the narrow Republican majorities needed in both the House and the Senate to pass the legislation, which faces uniform opposition from Democrats, who argue it disproportionately favors the wealthy and will worsen economic inequality.

    President Trump’s social media message appears to be an attempt to walk this political tightrope.

    He is urging a degree of fiscal restraint to appease conservatives while simultaneously emphasizing a supply-side economic argument: that robust economic growth will ultimately compensate for near-term revenue losses and help reduce deficits over time.

    This “growth will make it all up” approach comes as nonpartisan analysts estimate the bill could add trillions of dollars to the already substantial $36.2 trillion national debt.

    A bullish signal for Bitcoin and gold?

    This fiscal backdrop is being closely watched by market participants, with some interpreting it as a strong signal for holding hard assets.

    Crypto analyst Will Clemente’s reaction on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), posted shortly after Trump’s message, captured a common sentiment among those skeptical of current fiscal policies:

    How can you read this and hold long term US treasuries at current yields lol… Also, how can you read this and not hold any Bitcoin or gold.

    Clemente’s skepticism towards long-term US Treasuries reflects a growing concern that the bill’s deficit-financed tax cuts and relatively modest spending reductions signal a loose fiscal policy that could fuel inflation and devalue the currency over time.

    In such a scenario, traditional fixed-income assets like Treasuries can become less attractive, as rising deficits and potential monetary accommodation (to finance the debt) threaten to erode the value of both principal and interest payments.

    Conversely, hard assets with limited supply, such as gold and Bitcoin, are increasingly viewed as reliable stores of value and effective hedges against inflation and fiscal irresponsibility.

    The expectation of sustained, large deficits and the clear political challenges to implementing meaningful fiscal discipline are bolstering the demand for these inflation-resistant assets.

    As the Senate races to finalize the bill before the July 4 holiday, the ongoing negotiations and the ultimate fate of this consequential fiscal package will continue to be a key driver of market sentiment.

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  • Bitcoin hard drive containing $780m lost forever as UK landfill site is set to close

    Bitcoin hard drive containing $780m lost forever as UK landfill site is set to close

    metaplanet-buys-bitcoin
    • James Howells lost his court battle against Newport City Council in January
    • The judge ruled that there were “no reasonable grounds” for succeeding at a full trial
    • Today, Howells’ Bitcoin would be worth around $780 million

    A UK landfill site where a man lost his hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin is reportedly set to close in the 2025-26 financial year.

    The site, in Newport, Wales, “has been in exploitation since the early 2000s and is coming to the end of its life, therefore the council is working on a planned closure and capping of the site over the next two years,” said a council spokesperson.

    According to the BBC, a solar farm will be built on part of the site after it received planning permission last August.

    Lost battle

    In January, James Howells lost his court battle against Newport City Council to recover his lost hard drive. In 2013, his former partner mistakenly threw it out in a black bin bag.  Judge Keyser KC, the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, dismissed Howells’ case. At the time, Keyser stated there were no “reasonable grounds” for succeeding at a full trial.

    Over the last 12 years, Howells tried to engage with Newport City Council to recover his lost hard drive, but was “largely ignored.”

    At the time of his loss, his assets – that he mined in 2009 – were worth around $1.3 million. Today, they would be valued at over $780 million.

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  • UK judge says there’s no “reasonable grounds” for success with Bitcoin landfill hard drive case

    UK judge says there’s no “reasonable grounds” for success with Bitcoin landfill hard drive case

    • Upon hearing the judge’s decision, Howells said “it’s the great British justice system striking again”
    • Howells lost his hard drive in 2013 when it was accidentally thrown away at the tip
    • He has been trying to engage with Newport City Council for 12 years to recover his hard drive, but says he’s been “largely ignored”

    James Howells has lost his case to recover a lost Bitcoin hard drive from a Welsh landfill that’s now worth around $740 million.

    Howells accidentally threw out his hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin in 2013 during a household clearout. At the time, he had two hard drives of the same size: one was blank while the other contained his Bitcoin.

    He mistakenly put the one containing the Bitcoin into a black bin bag, which his then-girlfriend took to the tip. At the time of his loss, his assets – that he mined in 2009 – were worth around $1.3 million.

    In October, Howells sued Newport City Council for $646 million in damages after being denied access to the landfill due to environmental concerns.

    Now, Judge Keyser KC, the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, has dismissed Howells’ case, stating that there are no “reasonable grounds” for succeeding at a full trial, reports the BBC.

    A 12-year battle

    Upon hearing the decision, Howells said he was “very upset,” adding “it’s the great British justice system striking again.”

    Over the past 12 years, Howells said he has been trying to engage with Newport City Council to recover his lost hard drive, but has been “largely ignored.”

    A court filing states Howells hard drive is located in Cell 2, Area 2 of the Docksway landfill. Yet, despite promises to safely excavate the Newport site and to modernize the landfill, the council have rejected Howells’ requests to dig due to “environmental concerns.”

    Howells’ lawyers claim that the council have “simply ignored” that 10% of Bitcoin could bring “a huge and desperately needed investment in the local community.”

    The judge’s decision comes as Bitcoin soared past $100,000 for the first time at the beginning of December, pushing to an all-time high of more than $108,000.

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  • UK man sues council after denying requests to dig for lost Bitcoin hard drive in landfill

    UK man sues council after denying requests to dig for lost Bitcoin hard drive in landfill

    Crypto.com sues the US SEC after Wells notice
    • James Howell has been trying to get his lost hard drive back for 10 years
    • Howell mined 8,000 Bitcoin on his laptop after learning about Bitcoin in 2009
    • The council have denied Howell’s requests to dig due to “environmental concerns”

    A 39-year-old man is suing Newport City Council for $646 million (£495,314,800 million) in damages after losing his hard drive at a recycling center containing 8,000 Bitcoin.

    James Howell accidentally threw out his hard drive in 2013 during a household clearout. According to WalesOnline, Howell had two hard drives of the same size. One was blank, while the other contained his Bitcoin.

    He mistakenly put the one containing the Bitcoin into a black bin bag, which his then-girlfriend took to the tip. At the time of his loss, his Bitcoin was worth around $1.3 million (£1 million). However, within three months, their value had risen to around $11.7 million (£9 million).

    Howell has reached an agreement, leaving him with 30% of his Bitcoin if the hard drive is found. The remaining would be split between his backers, the recovery team, and the council.

    Howell states that despite meeting a representative of the council in 2013, he’s been “largely ignored.”

    “I’m still allocating 10% of the value for the council even though they have been problematic throughout,” he said. “That would be £41m based on today’s rate but in the future, it could be hundreds of millions.”

    Environmental concerns

    A court filing states that Howell’s hard drive is located in Cell 2- Area 2 of the Docksway landfill.

    If the hard drive is located, the dig would take around 18 to 36 months followed by 12 months of remediation work. Yet, despite promises to safely excavate the Newport site and to modernize the landfill, the council have rejected Howell’s requests to dig due to “environmental concerns.”

    Howell’s lawyers claim that the council have “simply ignored” that 10% of Bitcoin could bring “a huge and desperately needed investment in the local community.”

    Lawyers for the council argue that the hard drive belongs to the council because it was dumped at the tip. However, Howell’s lawyers deny this, claiming that the hard drive was never intended to be thrown away.

    Howell said he didn’t want to go to court, but “this is the final shot.”

    The case is expected to be heard in December.

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  • Bitcoin hard forks, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV in the spotlight with double-digit gains

    Bitcoin hard forks, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV in the spotlight with double-digit gains

    • At press time, BCH price had risen by 52% in the last seven days and 28% in the last 24 hours.
    • BSV, on the other hand, had gained 77% in the last seven days and 30% in the last 24 hours
    • Bitcoin (BTC) has only gained 15% over the last seven days.

    Recently, attention has been focused on Bitcoin (BTC) and its hard forks, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin SV (BSV) that split off from the main chain. In the last seven days, the prices of BSV and BCH have skyrocketed, outperforming even BTC.

    Despite the markets showing a consolidated trend after the recent price movements, prices of most cryptocurrencies are still skyrocketing with BCH and BSV being among the top three gainers today falling behind Waves (WAVES) which has shot up by 85% today.

    Crypto market breakout after US SEC onslaught

    The SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase for allegedly violating US rules and regulations sent the markets into a sharp decline.

    However, the drop did not last long. The prices were up again after industry heavyweights like BlackRock, Invesco, and WisdonTree threw their weight behind the industry. The other force behind the current crypto market boom is the emergence of China back into the cryptocurrency space.

    China’s stand on cryptocurrencies

    The historical relationship between China and cryptocurrencies has been quite complicated, with frequent bans that have always had an effect on the entire crypto market.

    China has a history of opposing cryptocurrencies despite the fact that it was once the bedrock of most crypto activities including Bitcoin mining. The People’s Bank of China (PBC) made its initial attempt in 2013 when it forbade financial institutions from dealing in virtual currencies. Afterwards, authorities tightened their regulations of cryptocurrencies in 2017, especially targeting Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs).

    Later in 2021, China took the toughest action and outlawed cryptocurrency mining causing a more than 50% decline in the crypto markets.

    But recently, China has changed how it views cryptocurrencies. Beijing recently published a whitepaper titled “Web3 Innovation and Development White Paper (2023)” that promoted Web3 technology as a crucial element of the internet’s future development.

    If China was to completely lift the crypto ban or ease its stand, the global markets could be deeply impacted, stimulating global demand and boosting prices. However, at the moment, everything is still surrounded by speculations going by what has been happening.

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