Bitcoin has surged to frsh records since Donald Trump was re-elected president last week, with hopes he will ease regulations surrounding the digital currency
Crypto bettors on Polymarket are no longer so sure Donald Trump can deliver a Bitcoin strategic reserve in his first 100 days. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • Odds a $BTC strategic reserve will be established are down to 28% from a 60% high after the US elections
  • Some crypto bettors on Polymarket believe it needs more than just 100 days to establish such a reserve
  • There were earlier concerns about the potential impact of a Bitcoin strategic reserve on smaller $BTC holders

There has been much talk in the cryptocurrency space regarding the potential creation of a national Bitcoin strategic reserve in the United States with Donald Trump as the new president, but on market prediction platform Polymarket, the odds have dipped significantly.

Crypto users on Polymarket have been very busy since before the U.S. elections as hopes soared for a pro-crypto government to be elected, but it turns out there's not much confidence in a BTC strategic reserve to be established within Trump's first 100 days in office.

From 60% to Below 30%

As of late Sunday, odds the incoming president will create a Bitcoin reserve have dropped to 28%, marking a massive drop from Nov. 7, when chances for such a reserve were at around 60%.

Since then, the numbers have been sliding, even when positive odds picked up once more on Nov. 21, hitting 45%. In the last few weeks, though, it's been more difficult to hit 40%, and by January, the chances dropped as low as 22%, indicating weaker confidence among crypto bettors.

Polymarket Trump Bitcoin reserve event contract
About a month ago, the odds for a Bitcoin reserve during Trump's first 100 days were at 60%. Polymarket

Why are Polymarket Bettors Not So Hopeful Anymore?

There are mixed reactions to the significant drop in chances for a U.S. Bitcoin reserve. Some are saying it's a moonshot to get such a thing approved, while others believe Trump has other priorities.

For one user, it's not necessarily difficult to pull it off, but if crypto users were honest, it may require up to "a year of diligence" to determine a BTC reserve's effects on the broader U.S. economy.

Another user pointed out that it's just not possible for a Bitcoin reserve to be established within the first 100 days of a sitting president, given how the government works.

The said user argued that even if Trump makes use of an executive order, it will take the U.S. Treasury, or whichever agency is delegated to oversee the reserve, to implement the steps to establishing the reserve. "100 days is far too fast," he reiterated.

Others are just too optimistic to think of the "No" bettors concerns, with many saying Trump's "many Bitcoiners" in his cabinet know how important it is to have a BTC reserve as soon as possible with the bull run incoming.

Earlier Pessimism over $BTC Reserve

This isn't the first time negativity around the possibility of a Bitcoin reserve hit the crypto community hard.

In mid-December, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell single-handedly sent Bitcoin prices to a plunge after he said the central bank is "not allowed to own Bitcoin."

His comments were technically correct, since Trump hasn't necessarily said the Federal Reserve will be in charge should the country hold BTC in reserve.

Some industry experts and enthusiasts have also pushed back against a U.S. Bitcoin reserve, arguing that the government should not get involved with BTC and it should retain its status as "the people's money."

Trump and some of his allies, including GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, have indicated that they are pushing to deliver the promise of making the U.S. a global leader in Bitcoin and crypto.