More Tariffs, More Pain: Bitcoin Slides Lower

We started the month with trade wars brewing between the United States and Canada, Mexico, and China. Now, as February comes to a close, Trump has extended tariffs to Europe, announcing 25% tariffs on the region.

Just as we saw at the beginning of the month, markets reacted sharply. Within the first hour, the S&P 500 fell 0.78%, wiping over $500 billion in market cap, while the Nasdaq dropped 0.94% and Bitcoin over 3%. Bitcoin officially closed the day down 5%, hitting an intraday low of $82,250—its lowest price since 11 November. That marks four consecutive red days, hardly the way most envisioned closing out February.

New Tariffs by the United States:

25% tariffs on Canada
25% tariffs on Mexico
25% tariffs on the EU
10% tariffs on China
(Potential) 100% tariffs on BRICS

These tariffs have now caused US inflation expectations to nearly double, rising from ~2.7% to ~4.3% this year. The anticipated rate cuts in 2025 may not materialise if inflation continues climbing, which is not a great sign for risk-on assets.

Trump’s victory gave markets a pump, and now his tariffs are delivering the dump—or are they buying opportunities? The answer is both. The market is correcting due to the tariffs, but in doing so, it's presenting strong discounts across the board. From Bitcoin to altcoins, these pullbacks could yield significant gains for those who buy while the market is in extreme fear.

As Warren Buffett famously said, “Be greedy when others are fearful.” Right now, fear is at extreme levels, with the Fear & Greed Index at 10—its lowest reading since July 2022, when the Luna collapse sent Bitcoin below $20k. The key difference? Back then, Bitcoin was under $20k, and today it’s still above $80k—a strong sign of Bitcoin’s resilience and current strength.

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