KEY POINTS
- Trump said a bullet hit the 'upper part of my right ear' during his rally in Butler
- Bitcoin was trading above $62,000 late Sunday after steadily rising since the Saturday attack
- Several Trump-themed tokens such as $STRUMP and $TINU climbed Sunday night
Bitcoin and other PolitiFi memecoins surged Sunday night following the assassination attempt on ex-President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday. Several Trump-themed tokens led the Sunday night spike.
Rally turns bloody
Trump was speaking on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when popping sounds were heard and the Republican presidential frontrunner was seen ducking after touching his ear. Secret Service personnel immediately surrounded the GOP presidential candidate before he was seen lifting his fist in the air to show the crowd he was okay.
Footage and photos from the scene showed blood splattered over Trump's face as law enforcement led him out of the stage. He posted on Truth Social a few hours after the attack, revealing that a bullet pierced the "upper part of my right ear."
BREAKING: 🇺🇸 Former President Donald Trump shot at rally. pic.twitter.com/SnQe62Vu4d
— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) July 13, 2024
One person was killed in the attack and two others were injured and in serious condition. The alleged shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed. His motive for the attempted assassination is unclear.
Bitcoin climbs
Bitcoin, the world's largest digital asset by market value, climbed Sunday night after it was confirmed that Trump will still attend the much-anticipated Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville later this year despite the Saturday attack.
From trading below $58,000 earlier Saturday, $BTC prices surged to $62,000 as of late Sunday. The world's first decentralized cryptocurrency has been climbing since news of the assassination attempt on Trump. The asset has been up by over 5% in the last 24 hours, as per CoinGecko data.
PolitiFi memecoins surge, led by some Trump tokens
Bitcoin didn't climb alone. It pushed up other cryptocurrencies as well, including some Trump-themed tokens that led the surge in PolitiFi memecoins Sunday night.
Super Trump ($STRUMP) surged by 11.5% in the last 24 hours after lodging a 34.5% rally throughout the past week. MAGA VP ($MVP) climbed by 3.8%, MAGA Coin BSC ($MAGA) was up by 11.2%, and MAGA PEPE ($MAGAPEPE) increased by over 3%. Trump Inu ($TINU) also surged by 6%, and even the controversial TrumpCoin ($DJT) saw a spike of 5.5% on the last day.
Trump leads on Polymarket
Meanwhile, Trump's odds of winning the 2024 presidential elections on Polymarket climbed to 70% after the Saturday shooting attack. Traders use the decentralized prediction market platform to place bets using cryptocurrencies on world events such as the November 2024 elections.
Incumbent President Joe Biden's odds were at 18% as of late Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris stood at 5%, former First Lady Michelle Obama was at 3%, and others were at 1%. Polymarket traders also put the odds of Biden dropping out of the presidential race at 35%, and Harris being chosen as the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee at 74%.
