According to Matthew Sigel, Vaneck’s digital assets director, US President Donald Trump’s new mutual tariffs on 180 countries rekindled global trade tensions and brought new interest in Bitcoin (BTC) as a strategic financial asset.
Following the announcement on April 2nd, Bitcoin has immersed in the $81,000 range amid wider risk-off sentiment. However, the flagship code stabilized and outperformed the stock over the next few days.
Sigel considered it to indict resilience against the growing appeal of Bitcoin as a neutral asset during an era of economic uncertainty. He wrote a note to his client on April 4th:
“Bitcoin alone isn’t just slow to grow, but here’s the potential policy response: The Fed may have a range to cut interest rates while tariffs drag GDP without causing a new wave of inflation.”
He added that this would reintroduce the liquidity conditions that “Bitcoin is historically superior.” He also pointed to the growing appeal of neutral financial infrastructure as traditional systems become increasingly politicized or “weaponized.”
Countries that use Bitcoin
Sigel points to recent developments that show that Bitcoin’s role in global trade continues to evolve, with several countries turning to digital assets for cross-border settlements.
According to the Intelligence Report, China and Russia are beginning to resolve selected energy transactions in Bitcoin and other digital assets, indicating a significant deviation from the traditional dollar-based system.
Bolivia is facing restrictions on its foreign reserves and payment networks and announced plans in March to import energy by using digital assets as payment rail.
In Europe, French state-backed utility EDF is exploring Bitcoin mining as a use case for the excess electricity it currently exports to Germany. EDF reportedly views domestic mining as a way to monetize surplus supply in a volatile energy pricing environment.
According to Sigel:
“These are no longer theoretical use cases. We can see financial reorganizations in real time.”
He argued that tariffs could serve as a catalyst for this transition by forcing states to reassess their dependence on the US-controlled financial system.
He wrote:
“In that context, modern tariffs may not just be just an economic narrative, but an acceleration of Bitcoin’s role in emerging multipolar orders.”
Fed, Dollar Index, and ETF Flow
Sigel advised investors to closely track the Federal Reserve policy, as changing rate expectations and increasing liquidity historically boost Bitcoin.
He also points out the US Dollar Index (DXY) as an important indicator, suggesting that the weakness of the dollar can strengthen Bitcoin’s status as a hedge.
Despite recent market volatility, US List spot Bitcoin ETFs remained a net positive of around $600 million this year, backed by the influx in late March.
Sigel noted that the ongoing demand for ETF products and chain activity reflects a growing institutional interest.
It is mentioned in this article
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish