On the evening of September 10, 2025 , gunshot rang out in a lecture hall at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck and pronounced dead at the hospital. The 31-year-old rising conservative figure, a staunch supporter of Bitcoin's "free money" philosophy, had used speeches and YouTube to encourage young Americans to own Bitcoin. His sudden death immediately sent shockwaves through both political and cryptocurrency circles.
The moment Kirk fell
According to reports from The Street andFox News , the incident occurred during a public speech by Kirk on campus regarding free speech. Witnesses at the scene reported that the gunman drew his gun from the seating area and opened fire toward the podium, devastating the scene with a single round. Police arrested a suspect at the scene but later released him due to insufficient evidence. The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
Dual identities: conservative leader and Bitcoin advocate
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, known for its campus conservatism, and he was also an active campaigner for President Trump. However, unlike most politicians who remain on the sidelines regarding crypto assets, Kirk has boldly embraced Bitcoin on numerous shows and social media platforms. In an interview with Media Matters, he stated:
Bitcoin is beyond the control of central banks and young people must have access to this currency.
For many young people and campus students, Kirk represents the decentralized monetary concept accepted by American youth, allowing the public to learn the spirit of eliminating the government's monetary monopoly without holding US dollars.
Lamentations on and off-chain: The crypto community mourns collectively
After the news broke, Bitcoin users on the X platform flooded the platform with messages of condolences and outrage. Well-known trader @CryptoTony stated, "Violence is not the solution. R.I.P. Charlie." Influencer CryptoWendyO bluntly declared that "free speech no longer exists" in the United States. Discord user "_BTCMaxi_47_" lamented Kirk's passing as "a rare voice that understands Bitcoin has been lost in mainstream politics." On the blockchain, some miners wrote "#RIPCharlie" in blank block messages, symbolizing the Bitcoin network's mourning for freedom.
Political ripples and unfinished investigations
The incident shocked Washington. Current President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social :
"We all have to pray for Charlie Kirk... a great man from head to toe. God bless him!"
Leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties condemned the violence and called for a cooling of political hatred. However, an MSNBC analyst's suggestion that Kirk's "rhetoric incited division" sparked a backlash and apology, demonstrating a widening rift in public opinion. Senators Mark Kelly and Rand Paul publicly expressed concern that "political violence is becoming the new normal."
Currently, police have only revealed that the murder weapon was a 9mm pistol, but the motive and accomplices remain unclear. Campus security has been heightened, and the Utah governor has pledged to "do everything in his power to uncover the truth." For the Bitcoin community, Kirk's death is not just a personal tragedy; it serves as a reminder of the challenges that free discourse faces in a highly contentious public arena.
When a politician who championed Bitcoin as "uncensorable money" was allegedly silenced at gunpoint, the old adage "the price of freedom" became a reality once again. The collective mourning of the Bitcoin community reflects that decentralized financial instruments carry not only technological innovation but also a hope for an open society. While the case remains unresolved, Kirk's death has rekindled the increasingly fragile balance between violence, speech, and freedom.
