Trump’s Tariffs Officially Kick Off

President Donald Trump has ignited a global trade war, disrupting markets and erasing billions in value overnight.

On Tuesday, the US imposed sweeping tariffs: 25% on all Mexican imports, 25% on most Canadian goods—except energy, which faces a 10% levy—and 20% on various Chinese products.

Declaring an end to negotiations, Trump signalled a hardline stance.

In response, Canada retaliated with 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of US exports.

Global Stock Markets Plummet

Asian tech stocks plummeted following the trade war announcement, with Nvidia dropping 9% and Japan’s Advantest hitting its lowest level since October.

Renesas Electronics fell 6.35%, while South Korea’s SK Hynix lost 3.26%.

In China, Alibaba slipped 2.23%, Kingsoft Cloud tumbled 8.46%, and EV giant BYD declined 6.6%.

SoftBank plunged 6.25%, despite CEO Masayoshi Son’s reported $16 billion AI investment plans.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) also shed 2% after Trump announced its $100 billion US expansion.

The S&P 500 is under pressure, marking its worst decline since 18 December and teetering on a key 200-day moving average.

A further breakdown could trigger more market turmoil.

Oil prices slumped as investors fled to safer assets, with gold surging 10% since January.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin has fallen 10% year-to-date.

European markets, however, are charting a different course.

The Stoxx 600 outperformed the S&P 500 in February as investors shifted toward defense stocks, anticipating further market volatility under Trump’s policies.

Crypto Market Crashed After Roller Coaster Ride

Crypto investors are facing a brutal downturn.

On Sunday, Trump’s announcement of a US Crypto Reserve sent the market soaring, with total capitalisation jumping from $2.7 trillion to $3.1 trillion in hours.

But the euphoria was short-lived.

By Monday night, the market had reversed sharply, shedding $500 billion in just 24 hours—one of the fastest crashes on record—bringing valuations $100 billion below pre-announcement levels.

Bitcoin, which surged past $90,000 after Trump’s news, has plunged to $83,520, down 9.01% in a day.

Ethereum fell 12.52% to $2,077, while XRP, Solana, and Cardano tumbled 13.27%, 16.02%, and 20.03%, respectively in the last 24 hours.

Institutional investors have been quick to exit, pulling a record $2.6 billion from crypto funds in late February—the largest outflow ever, surpassing 2024’s record by $500 million.

The rapid reversal underscores the fleeting impact of Trump’s announcement, as investors shift their focus from hype to harsh market realities.

Trump’s Trade War is Biggest Threat to Risk Assets According to Investors

A Bank of America survey reveals that 42% of investors now view the trade war as the greatest threat to risk assets in 2025, a sharp increase from 30% in January.

Confidence in Bitcoin as a safe-haven asset remains low, with only 3% expecting it to outperform in a full-blown trade war—far behind the US dollar (15%) and gold (58%).

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs’ volatility panic index, which stood at 1.4 in December, has surged to 9.1 and is nearing 10, signalling heightened market turbulence ahead.

The US effective tariff rate is set to reach its highest level since the Great Depression, and the pressure is mounting. https://www.coinlive.com/news/president-donald-trump-ruffles-international-feathers-eyes-10-tariffs-on

Next on the list: a 25% tariff on the European Union.

Crypto Market’s Sentiment Leans Less Toward Optimisim

Crypto analysts anticipate Bitcoin could dip to $70,000–$75,000 before regaining bullish momentum.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes remains confident in the ongoing bull cycle but suggests Bitcoin’s worst-case floor could align with its previous cycle’s peak of $70,000.

Popular crypto analyst KALEO also reiterated the stand saying:

“…after the type of wick we saw across the board for BTC and alts earlier (major move up + full retrace) it shouldn’t be surprising if another leg down to the mid 70s for Bitcoin.”

Experts urge investors to remain patient and avoid panic selling.

Popular analyst Michael van de Poppe noted:

“Most of the altcoins are giving back their gains against Bitcoin today. Why? People want to get out, that’s why they sell on every bump upwards and that’s why things will take time. Just be patient.”

Meanwhile, optimism for an altcoin rally has faded, with market sentiment hitting rock bottom despite high expectations at the start of the year.

As tensions escalate, the question remains: How deep will the economic fallout go?