London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Dec 29, 2025

Musk creates 'hype' with bitcoin ‘pump and dump’ comments

Musk creates 'hype' with bitcoin ‘pump and dump’ comments

The Tesla CEO says he 'might pump,' but doesn't 'dump' the cryptocurrency

Jordan Belfort, the former stockbroker and subject of the 2013 hit "Wolf of Wall Street," weighed in on Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Bitcoin comment where he said, "I might pump, but I don't dump," arguing that while he may not need to, other people pump and dump around the "hype" the celebrity creates.

"I like Elon Musk and I think he’s rich enough, he doesn’t have to make an extra few dollars pumping and dumping," Belfort, who spent 22 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of securities fraud and money laundering, told "Varney & Co." on Thursday.

"I think the problem is while he might not be pumping and dumping, people use his endorsement and they pump and dump around the hype that Elon creates."

Belfort made the comment one day after Musk said the "three meaningful assets" he personally owns besides his two companies are Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum.

"If the price of bitcoin goes down, I lose money," Musk said during the discussion hosted on a website for a "Bitcoin-focused initiative" called "The B Word" on Tuesday, along with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood. "I might pump but I don’t dump."

He also said Tesla and SpaceX own bitcoin during the cryptocurrency-themed discussion, which was hosted by the Crypto Council for Innovation, which touts itself as "a global alliance of crypto industry leaders."

The price of ethereum rose above $2,000 upon the billionaire's Tuesday announcement, according to Coindesk data. Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ripple, Cardano and most other cryptocurrencies were also up across the board Tuesday following Musk’s comments.

When asked why he's such a big fan of Dogecoin – a cryptocurrency based on a popular meme as a joke in 2013 – Musk said he likes dogs, memes and the fact that Dogecoin "doesn't take itself too seriously." He explained later that he believes some of the most unlikely investments end up becoming the most profitable.

In April of this year, Dogecoin saw a more than 500% price surge due in part to attention from Musk, making Dogecoin a household name – for crypto investors, at least.

Belfort brought up Dogecoin as an example of where Musk was "probably inadvertently being used" to pump and dump the cryptocurrency.

Critics accused Musk of manipulating the market through his praise and criticism of Bitcoin, as well as his unwavering support for Dogecoin, which started as a joke but has since gained immense pop.


Tesla announced in February that it was acquiring $1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency and would accept it as payment. In May, Musk later backtracked on the decision, saying the crypto's use of energy was a threat to climate change and the automaker would no longer accept it as payment.

However, during Wednesday’s conference, Musk said Tesla will most likely restart accepting bitcoin as payments once it investigates the amount of renewable energy used to mine the digital currency, Reuters reported.

Also in May, the China Banking Association warned members of risks associated with digital currencies.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies tanked that month with the largest market value of the group falling to the $30,000 level, dropping from its record $64,000 reached earlier this year.

Bitcoin was trading at about $32,400, as of Thursday afternoon, following the most popular cryptocurrency’s drop below the $30,000 mark two days before for the first time in a month.

Belfort told host Stuart Varney on Thursday that he is a cryptocurrency investor as well and is "in it for the long-term." He noted that some of his positions include investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

He also noted that he wouldn’t "put in any more than I could afford to lose."

Belfort said he hopes the price of bitcoin drops again because he "would buy more if it drops down more."

"I would love it to go lower because I’m a long-term investor so I don’t care if it goes up or down in the short-term," he told Varney.

"I would love it to go back to 5,000 [BTC] and buy a ton of it there and that would be a great thing."

He added that it’s "very dangerous" for those who "are trading bitcoin for the short-term," especially given how "volatile" the cryptocurrency can be.

"Anyone that says they know where it’s going next is lying," Belfort said. "No one knows where it’s going next."

He pointed out that the price of bitcoin is "susceptible to things like statements from Elon Musk, things that happen in China [and] other parts of the world."

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies remain unregulated within the U.S. financial system. The euphoria surrounding cryptocurrencies at the start of the year has been impacted by increased talk of regulation around the globe, which has weighed on bitcoin's price.

Belfort admitted that he has always been "scared of Bitcoin" because of all the uncertainty surrounding the cryptocurrency.

"Right now who knows what the U.S. is going to say with taxes, with regulation, is it a security, is it not and those are huge risks," Belfort went on to say.

"It’s still a nascent market until it really finds a footing," Belfort noted, adding that once cryptocurrencies are regulated "and the sovereign risk is more well-known," then analysts will "be able to start predicting it much more systematically."

He then pointed out that he believes the industry is "far enough along now, that I think the chances are far better than not that it stays with us and they don’t try to regulate it out of business."

He then stressed that he believes what is holding down the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is all the "uncertainty on the regulatory front."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
×