Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently outlined a wild conspiracy theory linking airline delays in the United States and Canada to the price surge of Bitcoin (BTC). While Carlson did not provide any evidence to back his claims, his theory immediately sparked a debate among crypto enthusiasts on Twitter.
On Jan. 17, Carlson argued on his Tucker Carlson Tonight program on Fox News that the Bitcoin price had increased by over 20% soon after thousands of flights were grounded in the United States and Canada due to a “critical tech outage.” Carlson suggested the computer outage may have been caused by ransomware and theorized the US government may have bought a large amount of Bitcoin to pay the ransom.
Tucker Carlson Faces Skepticism
However, his wild theory was met with skepticism from members of Crypto Twitter. Nick Almond, the founder of FactoryDAO, described Carlson’s wild theory as “maximum tin foil” to his 13,500 followers. Blockstream CEO and cypherpunk Adam Back also mocked Carlson, stating that the two events were exactly what Carlson described them to be — a coincidence.
Other arguments made against the theory on Crypto Twitter included that the US government already has a large amount of confiscated Bitcoin, that the government would buy it over-the-counter if it did buy it, and that Bitcoin is traceable and transparent, making large ransoms more likely to be paid in Monero. Stack Hodler also pointed out to his 30,000 followers that the recovery of $5 billion in assets by FTX was a more likely explanation for the recovery in crypto markets.
Ultimately, the US Federal Aviation Administration stated that the disruption was caused by a “damaged database file” in its Notice to Air Mission system, which the agency said was not harmed by a cyberattack. The issue has been fixed and flights have resumed normal operations.
Whether Tucker Carlson’s wild theory is true or not, it has certainly gotten people talking about the potential of Bitcoin. The crypto community on Twitter is still debating Carlson’s wild claims and the potential impact of the US government buying Bitcoin. As the price of Bitcoin continues to rise, it will be interesting to see what other theories emerge.
