Bitcoin fell 4% to around $82,000, joining a broader sell-off in risk assets. This followed US President Donald Trump's announcement of global tariffs. Other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, XRP, and Solana, also declined, according to a report by Bloomberg.
On April 2, Trump imposed a minimum 10% duty on all US imports, with stronger restrictions in place for several countries and groups: China (up to 34%), the EU (up to 20%), and Japan (up to 24%). Crypto assets initially remained stable but weakened as Asian trading began.
As noted by John Wu, president of the American company Ava Labs, cryptocurrencies, being a risky asset, tend to weaken during periods of uncertainty. The decline following news of tariffs or interest rate hikes is quite natural.
Meanwhile, gold hit a record high of $3,167 per ounce today, continuing to reaffirm its safe-haven asset status.
DYOR CEO Ben Kurland expects a short-term decline in cryptocurrency markets due to increased volatility caused by US trade policy. Rachel Lucas, a crypto analyst at BTC Markets, predicts that Bitcoin will decline to the $80,000 level.