The cryptocurrency and Asian stock markets sold off early Friday after U.S. Pres. Donald Trump announced he and his wife had tested positive to COVID-19.
- In a tweet on Friday, Trump said he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 and would begin their quarantine process "immediately."
- "We will get through this TOGETHER!," Trump tweeted.
- The Australia ASX All Ordinaries is down 1.35%.
- In the U.S. markets, S&P 500 futures fell about 2%.
- Gold is up 0.32% on the day to stand at $1,908 after falling to a low of $1,888 in early Asian trading hours.
- Bitcoin is also down by 1.9%, having fallen from $10,678 to around $10,400, at press time.
- The price action comes several hours after a 3.7% fall on news that U.S. officials indicted BitMEX owner Arthur Hayes and other company executives on charges the crypto trading platform violated know-your-customer and derivatives trading laws.
- Trump will quarantine as he enters the final month of his reelection bid. His major-party opponent, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, has been touring the midwestern states following a debate with Trump on Tuesday.
See also: Election 2020 Prediction Markets: Bettors Say Trump Lost Tuesday’s Debate
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