BTC Frozen at $87K: Tariff Fog Clouds Market Moves

A 0.88% dip over the past day puts Bitcoin near $87,400—a soft move when compared to prior sharp corrections nearing double digits.

Aside from the U.S. president’s provocative statement about imposing tariffs on imported vehicles, the market has seen no new developments capable of stirring BTC. As a result, the market continues to tread water in a state of consolidation.

The Fear and Greed Index still reads 33—a testament to the lingering uncertainty among traders.

At the same time, the altseason index holds at 18, aligning with Bitcoin’s month-long dominance in the 60–61% range.

Every indicator points to a market holding its breath.

Spot ETF Flows Signal Institutional Confidence in Bitcoin

As retail investors hold back, institutions are quietly making moves—channeling fresh capital into Bitcoin through U.S. spot ETFs. Over the last 24 hours, net inflows reached $89.6 million, according to CoinGlass.

While most issuers remained flat, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) stood out again, drawing consistent inflows for the fifth consecutive day. It’s a telling sign of who’s still betting on Bitcoin.

Tariff Uncertainty Keeps Market Tense

While some indicators hint at a rebound, the market's focus remains firmly on how U.S. authorities will act next.

Speculation over a potential softening of the tariffs set to take effect on April 2, 2025, was swiftly corrected by the president. He asserted that if America’s allies maintain economic pressure, the U.S. could respond with even steeper tariffs—though the original ones were, notably, his own doing:

If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!

In spite of the fiery rhetoric, Bitcoin remains unshaken. Analysts point to the Federal Reserve’s recent reassurances—that tariffs, while inflationary in the short term, are unlikely to destabilize the broader economy—as the reason behind the calm. Whether this assessment will hold water is unclear, but for now, it offers a framework the market seems content to follow.

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The crypto space finds itself balanced on a quiet edge: institutional optimism counterweighted by retail caution. It’s a pause before the storm—one that may break after April 2, when Trump’s new tariffs will finally reveal their true bite.