The FBI was able to obtain the private key to access the bitcoin bought with the stolen funds, the Justice Department said
The FBI was able to obtain the private key to access the bitcoin bought with the stolen funds, the Justice Department said

Former First Lady Melania Trump posted a celebratory message on the 13th anniversary of the Bitcoin Genesis Block, a move that contradicts her husband’s stance on cryptocurrency.

"Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Bitcoin Genesis Block," Melania wrote in a tweet Monday. "Happy Anniversary, #SatoshiNakamoto #MelaniaNFT."

The former first lady’s tweet was accompanied by a photo of Bitcoin’s genesis block, the first block on the cryptocurrency’s blockchain. The block, generally described as “block 0,” is believed to be the key to potentially unlocking the identity of Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Nakamoto.

Bitcoin’s white paper was first released by Nakamoto on Oct. 28, 2008. However, many cryptocurrency enthusiasts recognize Jan. 3, 2009, the day bitcoin’s genesis block was minted, as the crypto’s birth.

In Melania’s tweet, she also promoted her non-fungible token (NFT), which she first launched in December. Her first NFT was a digital artwork of her “cobalt blue eyes” designed by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. The digital watercolor painting was sold for 1 Solana (SOL) or $150.

Many crypto enthusiasts, including Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony Pompliano, suggested the former first lady was a “Bitcoiner.” However, many also said they were surprised by the tweet, adding that it went against her husband’s anti-Bitcoin stance.

In December, former President Donald Trump said he is not a fan of cryptocurrencies and warned of a potential crash in the future.

"That [crypto] could be an explosion some day the likes of which we've never seen. It will make the big tech explosion look like baby stuff. I think it's a very dangerous thing," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “I want a currency called the dollar, I don't want to have all of these others.”

In June, Trump called bitcoin (BTC) a “scam” and slammed it for competing against the dollar, which according to him, should be the “currency of the world.”

"Bitcoin, it just seems like a scam. I was surprised - you know, with us, it was at $6,000 and, much lower. I don't like it because it's another currency competing against the dollar, essentially it's a currency competing against the dollar,” Trump told Fox Business.

As of Tuesday, Bitcoin was trading at $46,241.27.

Melania Trump, seen here on January 20, 2021 which was the last day of her husband's presidency, cut a fashionable but distant figure

Melania Trump, seen here on January 20, 2021 which was the last day of her husband's presidency, cut a fashionable but distant figure Photo: AFP / ALEX EDELMAN