Bitcoin & Ether Defy Trump’s New 10% Universal Tariff Announcement
Digital gold proves its mettle against political shockwaves.
The Unshakeable Assets
While traditional markets brace for impact, Bitcoin and Ethereum barely flinch. The announcement of sweeping new import levies—a classic political maneuver—sent shivers through forex and commodities. Yet, the leading cryptocurrencies held their ground, trading sideways as the news broke. It's a stark contrast to the usual panic-selling in legacy markets whenever a tariff tweet hits the wire.
Decoupling From The Old Playbook
This resilience isn't accidental. Crypto markets operate on a different set of fundamentals—network security, adoption curves, and monetary policy written in code, not dictated by committee. Global capital now views top-tier digital assets as a sovereign alternative, a hedge against the very geopolitical gamesmanship that tariffs represent. When one door closes, money finds a window.
The Cynical Take
Let's be real—the traditional finance crowd is probably scrambling to model the second-order effects on supply chains and consumer prices. Meanwhile, crypto investors are checking hash rates and validator queues. One group is playing 3D chess with economic models from the last century; the other is betting on a parallel financial system. It’s almost as if building a decentralized, borderless ledger makes you less worried about borders and central decrees. Who knew?
Tariffs come and go, political cycles turn, but the blockchain just keeps on ticking. The real story isn't that crypto held strong—it's that anyone expected it to do anything else.
Trump Orders 10% Global Tariff Using New Legal Authority After Court Ruling
Trump sharply criticized the court’s ruling during a press conference, calling the decision “ridiculous,” and said his administration WOULD proceed using alternative legal authorities.
“Effective immediately… I will sign an order to impose a 10% Global tariff under Section 122 over and above our normal tariffs already being charged,” he said, adding that national security tariffs under Sections 232 and 301 would remain in force.
The Supreme Court earlier ruled that the WHITE House lacked authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) during peacetime.
In its opinion, the court emphasized that the Constitution grants Congress, not the executive branch, the power to levy duties and taxes, noting no previous administration had used the statute to enact tariffs of comparable scale.
Tariffs have historically unsettled risk assets, including equities and digital currencies, as trade disputes tend to tighten liquidity expectations and cloud economic forecasts.
Previous tariff announcements from Washington have often triggered rapid selloffs across global markets.
Gavin Newsom isn’t mincing words:
“Trump owes families their money back. $1,751 per household.”
Trump illegally taxed working Americans through tariffs.
Took hundreds of billions. Got caught.
Got ruled against.
Now he needs to return every dollar.
No excuses. No delays. pic.twitter.com/sKvIiX4RJ0
This time, however, crypto traders appeared to take a measured stance. Bitcoin showed only marginal intraday changes and ethereum posted small gains over 24 hours, while major tokens such as XRP and BNB also moved modestly.
Trump had previously imposed tariffs of 25% on certain imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on Chinese goods, citing national security and trade deficit concerns.
The court rejected those justifications under the emergency statute, but the administration’s new order relies on longstanding trade laws, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and the Trade Act of 1974.
Bitcoin Loses 25,000 Millionaire Addresses Under Trump
As reported, bitcoin has shed roughly 25,000 millionaire addresses in the year since Donald Trump returned to the White House, even as US policy shifted toward a more crypto-friendly stance.
Blockchain data shows the number of addresses holding at least $1 million in BTC fell about 16% year over year, suggesting regulatory Optimism has not translated into sustained on-chain wealth growth.
The pullback was less severe among the largest holders. Addresses with more than $10 million in Bitcoin declined by about 12.5%, indicating that top-tier investors were better able to withstand price volatility, while wallets near the millionaire threshold were more exposed to market swings.
Much of the increase in Bitcoin millionaire addresses occurred before Trump took office, driven by a late-2024 rally fueled by election-related optimism and expectations of deregulation.
