Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who revealed the NSA’s invasive security practices, tweeted about buying bitcoin amidst the massive market downturn.
Snowden, who has been forced to take asylum in Russia since fleeing the United States, published a tweet on Mar. 13 saying the plummeting for cryptocurrency made him consider purchasing bitcoin “for the first time in a while.”
Snowden also commented on the market hysteria as an irrational response to the coronavirus and global economic unrest.
Bitcoin briefly reached a yearly low of $4,075, accounting for the sharpest intra-day loss in the cryptocurrency’s history. The fall in price was in response to the global economic uncertainty generated by the coronavirus, including the United State’s implementation of a new travel ban.
According to the proclamation signed by President Donald Trump, the U.S. has suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days beginning Mar. 13. The news also followed on the heels of major sporting leagues postponing their seasons in light of the outbreak, including the National Basketball and Hockey leagues. The NCAA college basketball tournament, typically held in March, has been canceled for 2020.
