Since late last night, the cryptocurrency market has been dominated by reactions to Donald Trump’s recent statements, which have not only shaken the crypto sector but also captured global attention due to his remarks on China. Following Trump’s announcement of a 100% tariff on Chinese imports, fear gripped investors, triggering sharp volatility. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index plummeted from a “greed” level of 64 on Friday to “fear” at 27 on Saturday a 37-point drop while Bitcoin futures on Binance briefly fell to $102,000.
Data from CoinGlass shows that roughly $19.27 billion in long and short positions were liquidated within 24 hours, reflecting a steep decline in market confidence. Despite the chaos, Bitwise Europe’s head of research, Andre Dragosch, noted that the firm’s intraday sentiment index flashed a strong buy signal after hitting its lowest level since the “Yen Carry Trade Unwind” in mid-2024, with a -2.8 standard deviation.
The last time sentiment was this low was in April 2024, when Bitcoin fell from $110,418 to $77,000 amid escalating trade tensions. Back then, Trump temporarily eased tariffs, reducing most to 10%, which helped stabilize markets. Interestingly, despite Bitcoin reaching a new high of $125,100 earlier this week, market enthusiasm remained muted. Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan told the Thinking Crypto podcast that investor reactions were unusually subdued, suggesting a psychological “saturation phase.” Similarly, Glassnode’s analysis showed that Bitcoin’s recent highs lacked corresponding growth in trading volume, implying that many investors are taking profits instead of re-entering the market.
In summary, Trump’s tariff announcement has reignited uncertainty in the crypto space, triggering fear levels not seen in months. Yet, several analysts view this downturn as a potential buying opportunity, as extreme fear often precedes rebounds. While short-term volatility may persist, historical patterns suggest that panic phases like this tend to pave the way for recovery.