October 9, 2026
Since Donald Trump made his return to the White House, Bitcoin has been on a ride. The price soared to $126,000, crashed down near $60,000 and then worked its way back up into the low $80,000s.
Now, twenty months into Trump’s second term, Bitcoin’s chart looks less like a steady climb and more like a roller coaster with the safety bar rattling. The coin hit a record high of roughly $109,115 on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, per CNBC. Fast forward to October 9, 2026, and it was trading at $82,866.40, according to Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of daily trading volume.
These swings mean a lot, way beyond the lines on trading charts. Entrepreneurs with global customers are now pegging their pricing, invoices and even business plans to Bitcoin’s moves. For instance, if you checked the Bitcoin INR conversion on October 9, 2026, you’d see one Bitcoin going for ₹7,914,446.94, down 1.89% compared to a day earlier.
How has Bitcoin’s price moved since Trump took office?
Bitcoin shot up to a new high, about $126,000, last October, crashed by more than half and has clawed back part of that drop. The thing is, these moves haven’t synced up neatly with Trump’s policy calendar.
Look at Binance Research’s numbers: By the end of the first half of 2026, Bitcoin hovered near $60,000, marking a 32% drop since January. The main reasons? Tougher macro conditions like higher real yields and tighter liquidity, a lot more than just crypto news.
Which crypto-friendly policies has Trump put in place?
The Trump administration didn’t just talk; they put out a federal stablecoin law, issued a strategic Bitcoin reserve order and brought in regulators who lean toward fostering innovation. The legal headline was the GENIUS Act, signed into law on July 18, 2025, after a strong 68 to 30 vote in the Senate, according to public records from Congress.
At the SEC, Chair Paul Atkins changed the vibe, pushing a friendlier crypto agenda. In March 2026, the SEC clarified that most crypto assets don’t count as securities, as per a press release by the SEC. Then, on August 18, 2026, they dropped their first-ever crypto offering rule: Regulation Crypto Assets, according to a press release from the SEC.
What has Trump said about Bitcoin?
Trump’s public stance on Bitcoin has done a 180. He went from calling Bitcoin a “scam” during his first term to promising at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville that he’d make America the “crypto capital of the world”. He even pledged to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve, according to the White House's crypto webpage.
When CNBC asked him in December 2024 if a crypto reserve could work like the strategic petroleum reserve, he said, “I think so”, as per The Block. By March 6, 2025, he’d already signed off on building the reserve, starting with roughly 200,000 seized bitcoin, according to Fortune.
What happened in the Senate on September 15, 2026?
That day, the Senate voted 49 to 50 against moving ahead with the CLARITY Act, about eleven votes short of what’s needed to start debate, as per official records from the Senate on the vote. The bill would’ve split up crypto market oversight between the SEC and the CFTC.
Democrats said the legislation’s ethics rules weren’t strong enough to prevent a sitting president from profiting off crypto, and community banks pushed back against stablecoin rewards, according to a document from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
How did the vote affect Bitcoin and U.S. crypto businesses?
The reaction was fast, and U.S.-listed crypto businesses took the hardest hit. On September 15, 2026, CNBC reported that Bitcoin dropped 3%, Coinbase shares fell 8%, and Circle shares slid 10%.
Both Coinbase and Circle hire American workers, serve Americans and answer to U.S. shareholders. When the rulebook stalls, you feel it in hiring plans and fundraising talks.
What does this mean for founders and marketers now?
Right now, it’s smart to treat Bitcoin like a currency that reacts to global liquidity swings and key regulatory dates, not just a Senate vote here or there. Binance Research reported on October 1, 2026, that total crypto market capitalization jumped 11.0% to $2.99 trillion in September, even with the CLARITY Act setback. Their team emphasized in an earlier report that crypto remains highly sensitive to liquidity conditions.
Three practical steps to keep in mind:
Check local-currency pricing before you invoice.
Mark your calendar with the SEC’s comment period wraps up on October 20, midterms on November 3, and the GENIUS Act taking effect January 18, 2027.
Build campaigns around usefulness.
FAQ
Is the CLARITY Act dead?
Not officially. The September 15 vote was procedural.
Did the vote change U.S. stablecoin rules?
No. The GENIUS Act has been law since July 18, 2025.
Author: Pam Brown
Pam Brown is a journalist with exceptional analytical skills and a strong interest in modern financial systems. She specializes in translating complex topics like crypto, loans, and forex into clear, accessible content. Pam’s precise, research-driven writing has made her a trusted voice in the financial and fintech space.
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