Why Trump Needs Bitcoin To Drop First

Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at Bitwise, asserted on Sunday, March 9, that US President Donald Trump will hold off on further Bitcoin purchases until it reaches a price close to $60000.

Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at Bitwise, has shared his unique perspective on the timing of US President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

According to Park, the administration might prefer to see BTC decline to around the $60,000 mark before the president steps in with further purchases.

The X post comes amid growing speculation around so-called “budget-neutral” methods the administration might use to acquire additional BTC, confirmed by the administration to already control roughly 200,000 BTC—valued at around $17 billion at current prices—seized through criminal and civil asset forfeiture.

The executive order, however, prohibits selling Bitcoin within the reserve.

Earlier this year, President Trump issued an Executive Order creating the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, positioning the United States to maintain a leading role in the digital asset space.

The administration confirmed that it already controls roughly 200,000 BTC—valued at around $17 billion at current prices—seized through criminal and civil asset forfeiture.

While the Executive Order prohibits selling Bitcoin within the reserve, it directs the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce to study “budget-neutral” ways of accumulating additional BTC in the future, ensuring no extra cost to taxpayers.

Can Trump Afford $100K Bitcoin?

Jeff Park’s commentary provides a fresh take on the narrative surrounding presidential involvement in the Bitcoin narrative.

As part of his analysis, Park noted that officials prefer not to be seen buying at the market highs.

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret from my primary field experience on how the BTC pitch works… I know one thing better about institutions than almost anyone else: public officials almost never buy bitcoin on trend/momentum and certainly not at the highs.”

He added: “The reason is simple – they don’t want to get fired when the inevitable drawdown hits or worse, ruin their reputation in the public domain.”

According to Jeff Park, political figures, especially one as scrutinized as the US President, face an asymmetric risk profile. The fallout from buying at a higher price—only to see the market correct—can be devastating from a public-relations standpoint. However, the incentives shift dramatically when BTC dips to more attractive levels.

“Can you imagine the headlines that will come for Trump if he buys bitcoin at $100k and it goes to $70k? On the positive side, if BTC gets to very cheap levels, the incentives for politicians and sovereigns to buy will increase… It is always +EV for the incentive calculation of an executive branch (which must win elections) to wait for BTC to get to $60k and buy and take credit.”

According to Jeff Park, a strategic reserve is intended as a long-term store of value, but public officials prefer to avoid immediate backlash in the event of any downside price volatility.

This pressure makes them less likely to make “high-risk” moves—especially ones that might expose them to questions of accountability.

The newly formed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, often branded by the administration as a “digital Fort Knox,” is explicitly designed to remain untouched over the long haul.

White House Crypto and AI Czar David Sacks has likened it to “a 21st-century bulwark of national financial security,” underscoring the administration’s ambitions for American cryptocurrency leadership.

However, according to Jeff Park, for a reserve program to truly gain traction, it requires several elements, including programmatic buying vs discretionary “studies,” shared decision-making (to distribute accountability), and an element of permanence—either through legislative safeguards or authoritative action undertaken behind closed doors.

Jeff Park’s admiration for public pension Chief Investment Officers who have proactively incorporated Bitcoin also highlights the contrast in decision-making timelines: “This is at the core why I give so much RESPECT to the public pension CIOs that have bought BTC or invested in crypto strategies. They are simply true patriots – committed to long-term thinking for the benefit of all against the potential privatized loss of one’s self. Heroes.”

His applause underscores how these executives, unlike politicians seeking reelection or mindful of wide public scrutiny, often have more leeway to invest for the long haul, provided they have fiduciary guardrails in place.