On April 2, the Trump administration announced tariffs of up to 104% on Chinese imports. In response, China imposed retaliatory tariffs of up to 84% on U.S. goods, starting on April 10. The trade war has triggered instability in traditional markets, pushing investors to consider alternatives like Bitcoin and gold. Analysts say Bitcoin is attractive in this climate because it’s not tied to any government and can’t be manipulated like national currencies.

Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley explained that in times of uncertainty, investors want to avoid both U.S. and other nations’ assets due to fears of currency devaluation. He said Bitcoin offers a unique solution—it can’t be debased and is easy to access and control. VanEck’s Matthew Sigel added that Bitcoin is becoming more than just a speculative asset, with real-world use cases like international trade settlements starting to emerge.