This U.S. politician suspiciously bets big on Bitcoin amid market dip

United States Rep. Byron Donalds has released a new financial disclosure showing a cryptocurrency purchase at a time when digital asset markets have been under pressure.

The filing lists a Bitcoin (BTC) purchase valued between $1,001 and $15,000, recorded on January 8, 2026, and publicly disclosed on February 12. This trade coincides with a period when Bitcoin has been struggling to hold key support levels, currently trading below the $70,000 spot. 

Alongside the Bitcoin purchase, the disclosure shows partial sales of traditional stocks, including Howmet Aerospace (NYSE: HWM), Parker-Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH), and The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD), all reported in late January.

Indeed, his transactions are likely to continue raising questions about his Congress trades, given that the lawmaker is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

Donalds stock trade controversy 

The latest filing follows earlier controversy surrounding Donalds’ cryptocurrency and stock trades while in office. In late 2025, reports noted that he and his wife purchased Bitcoin on the same day he and other lawmakers sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service seeking changes to crypto tax rules, raising questions about the timing, given his involvement in digital asset policy.

His stock trading history has also drawn scrutiny. In this line, a nonpartisan watchdog group filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging that Donalds and his spouse failed to timely disclose more than 100 stock trades worth up to about $1.6 million in 2022 and 2023, potentially violating the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, which requires members of Congress to report transactions within 45 days.

The complaint further noted that several of the undisclosed trades involved companies overseen by the House Financial Services Committee, fueling concerns about potential conflicts of interest when lawmakers invest in sectors they help regulate.

Although no enforcement actions or legal findings have been tied to his Bitcoin or stock transactions, the pattern of high-profile trades, their proximity to policy activity, and prior ethics complaints have kept his investment activity under scrutiny.