Eric Trump, son of President Donald Trump, made a promotional X post on February 3, 2025, stating, “In my opinion, it’s a great time to add $ETH. You can thank me later,” later editing out the “thank me later” part. This post coincided with a brief price surge for ETH, but subsequent market trends have shown a significant decline. Recent articles, such as those from Protos, Crypto Briefing, and BitcoinEthereumNews, provide insights into the price at the time of the post and current levels, while historical price data from Yahoo Finance and CoinGecko offer a basis for calculation. This analysis integrates these perspectives to verify the claim and understand the context.
Price Movement and Calculation
To assess the claim, I calculated the percentage decline in ETH’s price from February 3, 2025, to April 11, 2025, using available data:
| Date | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 3, 2025 | $2,884.57 | Yahoo Finance historical data, closing price |
| Apr 11, 2025 | $1,569.02 | CoinGecko, current price as of April 11, 2025 |
Percentage Decline=(Initial PriceInitial Price−Current Price)×100
Percentage Decline=(2884.572884.57−1569.02)×100≈(2884.571315.55)×100≈45.61%
This result, 45.61%, is close to “nearly 50%,” fitting the user’s claim when considering rounding or slight variations in pricing data. To explore further, I considered alternative starting points:
- The Protos article dated April 3, 2025, mentions ETH at $2,877 on February 3, 2025, with a decline to below $1,760 by April 3, a 39% drop. From $2,877 to $1,569.02.
These calculations consistently show a decline of about 45-46%, aligning with “nearly 50%” when approximated, especially given market data variations.
Supporting Factors and Market Context
Several factors contribute to ETH’s decline since February 3, 2025:
- Market Volatility: ETH’s price was already under pressure from President Trump’s tariff announcements on February 1, 2025, triggering a market-wide sell-off, as noted in Crypto Briefing. By February 3, ETH had cratered, plunging 37% from its recent January high, setting a volatile backdrop.
- Economic Uncertainty: U.S.-China trade tensions, escalating in early April 2025 with China’s 84% tariff retaliation, impacted crypto markets, as seen in BitcoinEthereumNews. This broader economic unrest likely contributed to ETH’s slide.
- World Liberty Financial (WLFI) Actions: Protos and Crypto Briefing mention WLFI, managed by Eric Trump, selling $175 million worth of ETH shortly after the tweet, potentially adding selling pressure. This was denied as “reallocating assets,” but market perception could have influenced prices.
- Criticism and Sentiment: Critics like Peter Schiff and Chris Bakke, as per 99bitcoins, mocked the tweet, with Bakke noting a hypothetical $100,000 investment would now be $46,782, fueling negative sentiment. This skepticism likely amplified selling.
Despite the tweet’s initial 5.5% price jump (from $2,748 to almost $2,900, per Protos), the long-term trend shows a significant decline, reflecting broader market dynamics rather than just the tweet’s impact.
Controversy and Analyst Discrepancies
There is some controversy around the exact impact of Eric Trump’s X post:
- Supporters: Some, like Crypto Briefing, initially saw the tweet as fueling a rally, with ETH rising 25% post-announcement, suggesting celebrity endorsements can briefly boost prices.
- Critics: Others, like Protos and 99bitcoins, argue the tweet was tone-deaf, with WLFI’s subsequent moves seen as manipulative, contributing to the decline. Peter Schiff’s mockery and Bakke’s comments highlight skepticism, questioning the tweet’s value.
- Market Factors vs. Tweet: BitcoinEthereumNews and Protos suggest external factors like tariffs and market corrections, not just the tweet, drove the 46% drop, adding complexity to attributing causality.
This debate underscores the interplay between celebrity influence and macroeconomic trends, with the evidence leaning toward market volatility as the primary driver, though the tweet’s timing amplified initial reactions.
