Cryptocurrency Market Reactions to “Liberation Day”

• Bitcoin plunged 6% on April 2, 2025, due to Trump’s tariff announcements.
• $500 million in liquidations reported.
• Ethereum, Solana, and XRP dropped 6% to 12%, reflecting market sensitivity to trade policies.
• Trump’s tariffs, including a 10% baseline and 34% on China, fueling fears of a global trade war, with China retaliating on April 4, 2025, with 34% tariffs on U.S. imports.
• Tariffs could push investors toward Bitcoin as a long-term hedge, despite short-term volatility.

The cryptocurrency market is reeling from the aftermath of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, which have triggered significant volatility, particularly for Bitcoin and major altcoins. This article delves into the market impact, China’s retaliation, and the broader implications for decentralized finance, providing a comprehensive overview for both novice and seasoned investors.

Market Impact: Bitcoin’s Plunge and Liquidation Surge

Trump’s tariff policy included a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, with escalated rates such as 34% on China and 20% on the European Union, as detailed by CNBC. This move, aimed at protecting domestic industries, sparked fears of inflation and a potential global trade war, directly impacting risk-on assets like cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin, often viewed as a hedge against economic uncertainty, paradoxically plunged 6%, dropping from near $88,000 to around $82,000. This decline triggered $500 million in liquidations, with $257 million from long positions and $232 million from short positions, as reported by Coinpedia. This liquidation wave, impacting over 157,000 traders, underscores the market’s sensitivity to macroeconomic shifts, with CoinGlass noting the largest single liquidation of $11.97 million on Binance’s ETHUSDT pair.

Altcoins Analysis: ETH, SOL, and XRP in the Crossfire

The impact wasn’t limited to Bitcoin; altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, and XRP also faced significant declines. Ethereum dropped 6%, Solana fell 11%, and XRP saw an estimated 10% decline, reflecting the broader market’s reaction to tariff-induced uncertainty. These figures align with earlier reports of double-digit losses for altcoins, with CryptoSlate noting XRP down 17% in February, suggesting a continued downward trend.

The reasons for these drops vary: Ethereum, heavily tied to DeFi, faced liquidity crunches, with Coinglass reporting $528 million in Ethereum trader liquidations in February.

Solana, known for its high-speed transactions, saw whale sell-offs, contributing to its 11% drop, while XRP, used for cross-border payments, was hit by trade disruptions, as seen in Reuters.

The overall market capitalization shrank by $200 billion since its peak, highlighting the sector’s vulnerability to macroeconomic shifts.