Donald Trump might not be a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but that hasn’t stopped him racking up some Basic Attention Token (BAT) in recent times.
No, Trump didn’t decide to jump on the BAT hype train. However, being the native currency of the Brave web browser, users can tip any Twitter user they wish using BAT.
Basic Attention Token surged 19% leading into Friday morning, off the back of news it had been integrated into Sliver.tv – an online streaming site for gamers.
Meanwhile, a new meme was born…
Whether he likes it or not, Donald Trump is now legally in possession of at least 1 unit of Basic Attention Token.
The tip was given in direct response to the U.S President’s tweets from last week when he opined that cryptocurrency’s value was based on thin air. Trump’s comments came amid a flurry of put-downs aimed at virtual currencies, including Facebook’s Libra.
Despite the apparent wisdom evidenced in some of the Trump administration’s recent economic policies, it’s unlikely the president could have picked a better token to hold had he tried.
In the 24-hour period since the BAT was sent to Trump’s Twitter handle, the token’s value surged by 19% – marking out Basic Attention Token as the top performer among the top fifty cryptocurrencies.
Basic Attention Token’s Friday morning rally coincided with its integration onto Sliver.tv. Initially a domain of Theta Network (THETA), users will now be able to receive BAT tokens as payment for ads watched on Sliver.tv.
From a 24-hour low of $0.214663, the value of BAT climbed to $0.256317 by early Friday morning. That marked 19.4% growth at its peak. A pullback then ensued which carried the token price back to the $0.24 range, leaving 10% net gains overall.
Unfortunately, unless Trump’s pro-crypto SEC buddy, Elad Roisman, notifies him about the workings of BAT, he probably won’t benefit from the recent price movement.
Trump now has just under 90 days to create a Brave browser account and accept his Basic Attention Token tip. After that point, the token will be returned to the person who sent it.
Between slim and none, what are the chances the President accepts his crypto tip?
I’ll take the under.