Bitcoin As Trump Tariff Safe Haven? Not Yet, But 'Might Decouple Over Time,' Expert Says

Market analysts say President Donald Trump's newly announced global tariff regime is already reshaping investor sentiment, triggering sharp corrections across risk assets—including crypto.

While digital currencies initially showed some resilience, experts caution that they remain exposed to broader macroeconomic shocks.

Trump's April 2 speech, which introduced a "reciprocal tariff" program with baseline rates starting at 10% and scaling up to 50% by April 9, caused immediate volatility in financial markets.

Bitcoin BTC/USD has dipped below $82,000, while U.S. equity futures and global ETFs slid.

Trump described the move as a "Declaration of Economic Independence," aimed at rebalancing global trade dynamics.

According to David Hernandez, a crypto investment specialist at 21Shares, the tariffs removed some ambiguity around U.S. trade policy but raised new concerns.

"Markets thrive on clarity, and now that the scope is known, we may see institutions buy the dip," he said. "Still, the announcement rattled equities and crypto alike. Bitcoin held above key support at $82,000 but couldn't avoid broader risk-off pressure."

James Toledano, COO at Unity Wallet, observed that crypto wasn't immune to the impact.

"Bitcoin is down 4.9% on the week, holding around $82,000," he said. "This shows that in the early stages of global instability, digital assets behave more like tech stocks than safe havens."

Also Read: Bitcoin Is A Realistic Global Reserve Asset, Experts Say

Toledano added that if the situation escalates into a prolonged economic standoff, crypto could gain renewed appeal. "We're not at safe haven status yet, but if confidence in fiat wavers, Bitcoin might decouple over time."

Javier Rodriguez-Alarcon, Chief Commercial Officer at XBTO, echoed that view, noting the correlation between Bitcoin and traditional markets during moments of high volatility. "Bitcoin still trades like a risk asset during policy shocks. That doesn't negate its long-term potential, but the narrative as a hedge is still maturing."

He added that as digital assets gain wider institutional traction, future dislocations may see crypto react differently.

For now, however, "the sell-off shows crypto is still subject to the same sentiment-driven dynamics that move traditional finance."

Despite these headwinds, Hernandez noted that institutional inflows into Bitcoin ETFs remained steady, suggesting some investors may view the dip as an entry point.

"The market reaction underscores Bitcoin's borderless appeal in hedging against geopolitical uncertainty," he said.

With key U.S. trading partners expected to respond in the coming days, including China, South Korea, and Mexico, analysts say further volatility is likely across all asset classes—crypto included.

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Image created using artificial intelligence with Midjourney.