Crypto Optimism Cools as Bessent Clarifies Trump’s Tariff ‘Dividend’ Plan
November 10, 2025 — Hopes for a new wave of retail-driven crypto gains dimmed on Sunday after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that President Donald Trump’s proposed “tariff dividend” for low-income Americans is likely to take the form of tax cuts, not direct stimulus checks.
The clarification followed a surge of online excitement after Trump’s announcement on Truth Social, which traders initially interpreted as potential cash payouts that could boost bitcoin (BTC) and other tokens like XRP and DOGE. Bitcoin briefly traded around $105,079 as social media buzzed with talk of a new bull phase.
Analysts noted that indirect support measures, such as tax relief, tend to deliver a slower and less pronounced boost to markets than direct stimulus payments. “Crypto traders were pricing in liquidity that may never arrive,” one strategist said. “Tax cuts don’t hit exchanges the way checks do.”
