Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is scheduled to announce in the Oval Office at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday, September 28, 2026, and the White House has not disclosed what it concerns. Crypto markets traded lower ahead of the event, and no official statement has linked it to digital assets.
The Hill’s national political reporter Julia Manchester first reported the timing on X on Sunday, citing White House guidance. The event is open to the White House press pool, with no topic listed on the president’s schedule.
What Trump Has Said
Asked on Sunday about the “big announcement,” Trump pointed to artificial intelligence (AI). “We’re meeting with Anthropic as you know on Tuesday that’s going to be big,” he said in remarks captured on video. He added that he would have dinner that evening with Dario Amodei, the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Anthropic, the AI company that develops the Claude models, according to Newsweek’s transcript. He did not confirm that Monday’s announcement concerns AI.
The remarks follow Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Washington. Reuters reported on September 26 that the two governments agreed on more favorable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction. They also launched a bilateral AI dialogue, with the next round set for November. The White House said both leaders agreed to use the term “super intelligence” in place of “artificial intelligence.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a trade truce due to expire on November 10 had been extended by two months.
Where Crypto Stands Before the Event
Bitcoin (BTC) traded near $83,244 early Monday, down about 1.6% over 24 hours, according to data from CoinGecko. That leaves it about 34% below its October 6, 2025 all-time high near $126,080. The Crypto Times has the full breakdown of Monday’s Bitcoin price move and weekend range. Ethereum (ETH) traded between about $2,650 and $2,690, down 1% to 2%, per CoinGecko data.
The dip comes after U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew about $2.4 billion in net inflows in the week ending September 25, their largest week since October 2025, according to data from SoSoValue. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, a daily sentiment gauge, read 74 (Greed).
The Macro Risks Already in Play
On September 26, Trump said he had rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The seven-day plan sought an end to the U.S. naval blockade, waivers on oil sanctions and the release of about $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Oil rebounded more than 1% when futures reopened September 27 evening, according to the markets headline account Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone), which is not affiliated with Bloomberg LP.
Rates are also a headwind. The Federal Reserve raised its federal funds target range by 25 basis points to 3.75% to 4.00% on September 16, as The Crypto Times reported from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The 10-year Treasury yield closed Friday at 5.17%, according to U.S. Treasury data.
The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index follows on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET, and the September jobs report on Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. See the crypto week-ahead calendar for the full schedule.
What Market Voices on X Are Saying
As of writing, none of the verified reporters or established analysts reviewed by The Crypto Times had tied the announcement to digital assets.
Benjamin Cowen, founder of the research platform Into The Cryptoverse, noted that Bitcoin typically rallied 20% to 30% within one to two weeks of reclaiming its 50-week moving average in 2019 and 2023. He said the current move has been far more muted, likely because of seasonal concerns and rising bond yields. Scott Melker, host of The Wolf Of All Streets podcast, pointed to last week’s $2.4 billion ETF haul as evidence that institutional demand has returned.
Four Scenarios and What Each Could Mean for Crypto
1. AI policy (the only topic Trump has hinted at). An announcement centered on Anthropic or federal AI policy would carry limited direct read-through for crypto. The main channel would be risk sentiment through technology stocks. Direction for the week would then likely shift to Wednesday’s PCE print and Friday’s payrolls.
2. Trade and tariffs. This theme has the clearest record of moving crypto. On October 10, 2025, Trump’s threat of an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods triggered the largest liquidation event in crypto history. About $19 billion in leveraged positions were forcibly closed within 24 hours, and Bitcoin briefly fell toward $102,000 on some venues, Bloomberg reported, citing CoinGlass data. The current direction is the opposite, so an update that expands last week’s $30 billion framework would fit recent de-escalation. A new tariff threat would be the downside risk.
3. Iran and energy. Sunday’s session is the template: after Trump rejected Tehran’s offer, oil rose, and Bitcoin fell. An escalation that lifts oil could push yields higher, which weighs on crypto while the Fed is tightening. A breakthrough on the Strait of Hormuz would likely ease that pressure.
4. Digital assets. This is the least signaled outcome. The last major crypto-specific White House action was the March 6, 2025 executive order creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. It was funded with forfeited Bitcoin rather than new purchases, and markets sold off once that detail was confirmed. On the legislative side, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act) failed 49 to 50 in the Senate this month. A push to revive it, or a plan for government Bitcoin purchases, would be the most material crypto outcome.
Outlook
Bitcoin enters the 2 p.m. ET window in the lower half of the $83,000 to $85,000 range it has held since fading from a September high near $87,000. Until the White House discloses the subject, the confirmed drivers remain ETF flows, the Fed’s September hike, Treasury yields above 5%, and the Iran standoff. The Oval Office remarks could add to any one of them. No public information yet indicates which.
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