Tariffs, Pardons, and Tumbling Markets: Will April 2 Flip the Crypto Script?

Hello, degenden fam. Today we’re diving into Trump’s looming trade war, NFT carnage, and a swirl of policy moves that might just shape the next few months in crypto. Will April 2 bring calm or chaos? Let’s find out.

But first, we’d love to know what you think – hit the poll below and share your feedback on DegenDen.

THE DEGEN DOWNLOAD

Let’s start with the looming April 2 bombshell. President Trump is set to announce new tariffs aimed at America’s top trading partners. Sure, trade war chatter began back in January, but the market is spooked all over again.

Since that first wave, Bitcoin’s down about 18%, the S&P 500’s off more than 7%. Are we on the verge of another drop? Possibly. Nothing says “risk-off” like the word “tariff,” especially when investors are already jumpy about global inflation and shaky growth.

But not everyone’s cowering. BTC whales (addresses with 1,000–10,000 coins) are still quietly stacking. What do they know? Maybe they love cheap coin, or maybe they’re just thrill-seekers.

Either way, it’s a sharp contrast to the broader hesitance. If big money’s hungry for more BTC, either they’re insane, or they see a bullish reversal no matter what the tariff trolls bring.

In other news, Trump’s pardoning the founders of BitMEX.

We’re in a timeline where that’s normal, apparently.

The once-maligned exchange was hammered for lacking AML/KYC, but now – “all is forgiven.” Is the White House pivoting to pro-crypto everything, or is this a one-off PR move? Also, we’ve got rumored stablecoin legislation on the way, “national Bitcoin reserves,” and the SEC dropping investigations like it’s hot.

Feels like we hopped into Bizarro World.

Meanwhile, Polymarket got hammered by a $7 million fiasco, possibly a whale exploiting oracles around a “Trump-Ukraine mineral deal” bet. That’s the risk with decentralized markets – no suits telling you “no.” And ironically, that’s also the lure. Because degens love the wild west, until it burns them.

Add in Vitalik being Vitalik (seriously, meowing at a robot?), and it’s just another week in cryptoland.

Is this bearish?

What to watch for next? Keep an eye on April 2. If Trump’s tariffs are big, expect short-term pain. If they’re milder than expected, we might see a quick bounce as markets sigh in relief.

Also, track that BTC whale accumulation. If those addresses keep rising, it means the big dogs are confident. Maybe they’re betting on global meltdown that ironically pumps crypto (the old “BTC is digital gold” narrative). Or maybe they’re just whales Whale-ing.

That’s your weekly dose, degens. Tariff jitters, NFT bleeds, pardons, and unstoppable whales. If you’re losing faith, maybe keep stablecoins on hand. If you’re feeling adventurous, buy the fear. Either way, keep an eye on April 2—one fireworks announcement from the White House could make or break the next few weeks in crypto.

Thanks for reading. Forward this to a friend who’s still clutching their NFT bags or freaking out about the next tariff wave. We’re all in this carnival together.

Stay bold, stay degen.

– The DegenDen Team

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