Crypto Markets Surge as Trump Announces Historic Talks With Xi Jinping

Digital assets rocket upward as political heavyweights prepare to negotiate.

Geopolitical Shakeup Fuels Rally

Markets respond instantly to the diplomatic bombshell—major cryptocurrencies post double-digit gains within hours of the announcement. Trading volumes spike as institutional money floods into digital assets seeking geopolitical hedge positions.

Diplomacy Meets Digital Finance

The impending talks between world economic superpowers trigger classic flight-to-quality movements—except this time, investors aren't buying gold. Bitcoin and Ethereum lead the charge while altcoins capture speculative overflow. Because nothing says stability like betting on volatile digital tokens during uncertain political times.

When elephants dance, crypto traders place their bets—and watch the charts move faster than diplomatic communiques.

In brief

• Donald Trump announced an official meeting with Xi Jinping on October 31 during the APEC summit in Seoul.
• This turnaround comes after several weeks of trade tensions between the United States and China.
• This announcement caused an immediate reaction in the markets, with a sharp rebound in major cryptos.
• Analysts believe this rebound remains fragile but fits into a long-term bullish momentum.

Trump changes course : an unexpected meeting with Xi Jinping announced for October 31

Donald TRUMP had recently ruled out any possibility of meeting with Xi Jinping, while the tariff war reignited by Beijing was shaking Wall Street, Asia, and bitcoin. Yet, in an interview given on Sunday, October 19, to Maria Bartiromo on Fox News, the president confirmed a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader, scheduled during the APEC summit to be held in Seoul starting October 31.

He states : “we’re going to meet in a few weeks. We are going to meet in South Korea, with President Xi and other people as well”.

On this occasion, Trump radically changed his tone towards the Chinese president : “he is a very strong man, an amazing man. You can look at what he has accomplished, where he is in his life. It’s a story for a great movie”.

A statement quite distant from his previous remarks, when he felt there was no reason to meet Xi Jinping at APEC, shortly after announcing new tariff measures against China.

This turnaround comes after several months of trade tensions revived by the American president’s protectionist rhetoric. Markets, very sensitive to this kind of geopolitical signals, immediately reacted to this new diplomatic perspective. Here are the key facts to remember from this development :

• The meeting is scheduled for October 31, 2025, in Seoul, on the sidelines of the APEC summit ;

• Trump describes Xi as a “very strong leader” and “an amazing man”, contrasting with his previous remarks ;

• This announcement comes after a period of trade tightening, marked by new tariff sanctions ;

• Trump moves from refusing dialogue to a proactive diplomatic reengagement ;

• The announcement has an almost immediate effect on the markets, showing a strong correlation between diplomacy and volatility.

This diplomatic shift was perceived as a potential easing signal, as investors were desperately seeking signs of macroeconomic stability.

A breath of optimism after uncertainty for the crypto market

Just a few hours after Trump’s announcement, the crypto market reacted vigorously. Bitcoin (BTC) saw an increase of about 2 % on Sunday, while Ether (ETH) and BNB recorded respective gains of 3.5 %.

Solana (SOL), meanwhile, climbed nearly 4 %. These movements occur in an extremely fragile market context. A few days earlier, the sector experienced a historic collapse, marked by nearly $20 billion in liquidations in the derivatives market.

This episode, described by some analysts as the worst liquidation ever recorded in the crypto sector, was fueled by a combination of excessive leverage, low liquidity, and an anxious climate linked to trade tensions.

Beyond this technical reaction, some sentiment signals also appear to be reversing. The Crypto Fear & Greed indicator, which fell to 22 last Friday, a level corresponding to a state of “extreme fear”, could rise if the geopolitical context stabilizes.

This rebound, still modest but significant, highlights that investors are closely monitoring upcoming diplomatic developments. If the Seoul summit leads to concrete signs of easing or economic cooperation, cryptos, especially the bitcoin price, could benefit from a lasting recovery. Conversely, disappointment or verbal escalation could rekindle instability.

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