Bitcoin fell after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries! With U.S. markets closed for the holiday, global markets reacted first, and crypto felt the impact.
Bitcoin briefly slid close to the $92,000 mark during early Asian trading, a knee-jerk reaction to tariff threats from President Trump. The proposed measures target eight European countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Britain.
Initial level is set at 10% import tariffs for the 1st of February, and a potential increase to 25% by June if talks fail. Further, the President stated,
“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
With U.S. cash markets shut for the holiday, the initial shock was absorbed elsewhere. S&P 500 futures slipped about 0.7%, while Nasdaq futures dropped 1.0% during early Asian hours.
Japan’s Nikkei fell about 1%, while MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan went 0.1% lower. European markets also looked dim, with Euro Stoxx 50 and DAX futures both down around 1.1%.
The dollar slipped against other safe-haven currencies, falling about 0.3% against the yen and 0.2% versus the Swiss franc, while the Euro recovered after a dip.
Gold jumped 1.5% to a record, silver was at an ATH, while U.S. crude slipped on growth worries tied to a possible trade clash.
Bitcoin [BTC] managed to claw back some losses in the following hours, so bargain buying and steady sentiment kept the boat afloat.
European investors hold around $8 trillion in U.S. bonds and equities.
A recent Bloomberg report stated that Deutsche Bank’s warnings that any shift could hit markets harder than tariffs themselves. They went so far as to call it a “weaponization of capital.”
There’s more to keep an eye out for. China reports growth data this week, the Bank of Japan is making policy decisions, and U.S. economic figures could influence the next Fed move.
Meanwhile, leaders are heading to Davos as well, where tensions and security issues (including the Greenland dispute) are likely to dominate discussions.
