- U.S. President Joe Biden has sparked a flurry of Bitcoin speculation with an X post.
- Despite the speculation, the Biden post likely has nothing to do with crypto.
- The laser eyes meme is playing an increased role in the Biden campaign.
The Joe Biden-led administration has been primarily seen as anti-crypto. In 2023, the U.S. president fueled this view with harsh but unsuccessful policy stances targeting Bitcoin miners and crypto traders.
Against this backdrop of perceived opposition, it is hard to blame Bitcoin proponents for being thrown into consternation when Biden’s official X account shared a cryptic post with a picture of the President sporting laser eyes, a symbol typically used to represent Bitcoin bullishness in crypto circles.
Could Biden be hinting at something tied to Bitcoin, or is there more to the post than meets the eye?
Biden’s Laser Eye Post Sparks Bitcoin Speculation
On Monday, February 12, many in the crypto community were left wondering if hackers had compromised the X account of U.S. President Joe Biden or if they were looking at a practical joke from a rogue aide.
Sponsored
In a now controversial post cryptically captioned “Just as we drew it up,” the president could be seen donning what to many appeared to be Bitcoin laser eyes, to the disbelief of many crypto community members.
However, the general sense of disbelief that trailed the post did not prevent some from using it to stoke Bitcoin excitement.
Sponsored
“Joe Biden holds Bitcoin?” Prominent crypto trader and influencer Ash Crypto commented.
“We’re replacing the Dollar with Bitcoin?” Gokhshtein Media founder David Gokhshtein added.
Despite the speculation, the U.S. president’s tweet is likely neither the result of a hack nor tied to Bitcoin in any way.
Not Bitcoin Laser Eyes?
Despite the popularity of the laser eyes in crypto circles, the meme predates the Bitcoin laser eye movement. At the same time, few outside the crypto community know of its newfound links to the leading crypto asset.
The laser eyes meme’s origin can be traced to animated films and television shows and has been used to mean several things over the past decade. In 2022, Biden supporters adopted the meme as part of efforts to co-opt the “Dark Brandon” meme, initially created by conservatives to demonize the U.S. president.
While conservatives initially created Dark Brandon to demonize the U.S. president, Biden supporters have since co-opted the meme to present Biden as a super-powered hero. Biden proponents used the meme to celebrate the administration’s early policy wins.
The meme is also getting increased adoption from the Biden campaign ahead of the 2024 general elections. In the latest instance, the U.S. president appears to be using the meme to jab at a faction of Donald Trump supporters following the Kansas City Chiefs’ win in the recently concluded Super Bowl finals.
Biden Trolling Trump Conspiracy Theorists?
In the run-up to the game between the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, which ended 25-22, there had been a conspiracy theory perpetuated by far-right Trump supporters that Democrats rigged the competition to favor the Chiefs.
Some versions of this theory involved pop star Taylor Swift, her boyfriend and Chiefs’ player Travis Kelce, and her lucky number 13, as these theorists suggested that the pop star who had refused to support Trump would use the victory as a platform to endorse Biden.
A TikTok video released by the Biden campaign before the game suggests that the administration knew of the conspiracy theories. Instead of outrightly debunking the claims in the video, the U.S. president seemed to joke about it while also playing into the political innuendo.
“I’d get in trouble if I told you,” the president asserted in response to whether the game was rigged in a cut that quickly transitioned into a Dark Brandon meme of Biden sporting the laser eyes.
The recent controversial Biden tweet appears to be an extension of the TikTok video, playing on the laser eyes usage to depict someone with superhuman vision or knowledge of something before it happens.
Biden was not the only Democrat to get in on the fun, however, as 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton quipped, “Congratulations to Taylor’s boyfriend—and the entire Kansas City Chiefs community!”
On the Flipside
- While Biden’s recent tweet may not be linked to Bitcoin or crypto, the emerging market has increasingly become a polarizing hot-button issue ahead of the 2024 general elections.
- Efforts from the Biden administration to impose higher taxes on Bitcoin miners and stricter tax controls for crypto traders have so far failed.
Why This Matters
It is necessary to understand the meaning of Biden’s recent tweet in the proper context as it continues to fuel speculation online.
Read this for more on Biden’s crypto stance:
“Bad Idea”: Biden’s Crypto Tax Bashed by Presidential Candidate
Learn more about Bitcoin’s recent price action:
Bitcoin Snaps Exchange Inflows Streak as Price Eyes $48K
