⸺ Obituary · August 19, 2025 ⸺
“I Was Far Too Optimistic About The Us Coming To Its Senses About Sensible Cryptocurrency Regulation”
— X (Twitter), Kenneth Rogoff
“I was far too optimistic about the US coming to its senses about sensible cryptocurrency regulation; why would policymakers want to facilitate tax evasion and illegal activities? Second, I did not appreciate how Bitcoin would compete with fiat currencies to serve as the transactions medium of choice in the twenty-trillion dollar global underground economy. This demand puts a floor on its price, as I discuss at length in my new book Our Dollar, Your Problem. Third, I did not anticipate a situation where regulators, and especially the regulator in chief, would be able to brazenly hold hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars in cryptocurrencies seemingly without consequence given the blatant conflict of interest.”
Price at death
$112,831
Today
$73,405
Decline
-35%
On 2025-08-19, Kenneth Rogoff (Former Chief Economist of the IMF) declared Bitcoin dead via Twitter. Bitcoin was trading at ~$112,831 at the time. The call joins the growing canon of premature obituaries.
The declaration was catalogued on August 19, 2025, when one Bitcoin traded for approximately $112,831. Bitcoin remains below its price on the day of this declaration — for now.