Bitcoin ETFs Record $127 Million in Outflows after Trump’s Tariff Pause
On April 9, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $127.12 million in net outflows despite President Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on new tariffs. Trump’s decision to delay trade tariffs propelled U.S. stocks upward, with the Nasdaq recording its best day since January 2001. However, while the stock market surged, the pause failed to reverse the ongoing decline in Bitcoin ETFs, showcasing a contrast in market reactions.
Bitcoin ETF Outflow Streak Extends to Five Days
According to SoSoValue data, BlackRock’s IBIT suffered the hardest hit, seeing $89.71 million in net outflows. Grayscale’s GBTC followed, losing $33.8 million. Smaller ETFs also struggled, with WisdomTree’s fund losing $5.7 million, while VanEck’s HODL recorded $4.7 million in redemptions. Bitwise’s BITB stood alone as the only Bitcoin ETF to record gains, attracting $6.71 million during the same period. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs also suffered losses, although on a smaller scale compared to Bitcoin ETFs. Among the 10 Ethereum funds tracked, iShares’ ETHA and Fidelity’s FETH experienced redemptions of $5.5 million and $5.7 million, respectively.
The remaining ETFs didn’t record any activity. These losses came just days after another major sell-off. Between March 31 and April 4, Bitcoin ETFs recorded $172.89 million in net outflows. The trend began on March 31, with $71.07 million leaving the market. April 1 saw a spike in redemptions, jumping to $157.64 million. The outflows persisted into April 3 and 4, with $99.86 million and $64.88 million lost on those days. Only April 2 showed signs of strength when a sudden inflow of $220.76 million briefly lifted investor confidence. These latest outflows mark a sharp reversal from the previous two-week streak of inflows that had brought in close to $941 million.
Tariff Diplomacy Ignites Global Stock Surge
In a Truth Social post on April 9, President Trump announced a 125% tariff hike on Chinese imports while delaying tariffs for other countries by 90 days. This unexpected pause provided immediate relief to financial markets battered by recent trade tensions. Stocks across the globe responded with enthusiasm. European indices, which were closed when the announcement was made, rallied sharply the next day. London’s FTSE 100 jumped 6.2%, while Germany’s DAX soared 7.8%. France’s CAC 40 and Spain’s IBEX 35 climbed 6.4% and 7.2%, respectively.
Asian markets were already open and surged immediately. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 8.68%, South Korea’s Kospi rose 6.07%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 3.13%. U.S. stocks followed suit as the Dow Jones Industrial Average spiked by 7.87%, the S&P 500 surged 9.52%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq exploded 12.16% higher, its biggest single-day gain since January 2001. Crypto-linked stocks also benefited. Coinbase rose 16.91%, and Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy) closed with a 24.76% gain.
President Trump’s tariff U-turn came just 24 hours after steep duties had kicked in for nearly all of America’s trading partners. The whiplash caused a wave of volatility that wiped trillions off global markets. The pause acted as a pressure release, calming panic and helping investors regain confidence, at least temporarily.
Crypto Market Rebounds Over 5% as Investors Weigh Recovery Momentum
Bitcoin recovered quickly after Trump’s announcement. Within an hour, the BTC price jumped 5.6%, hitting $81,636. Ethereum followed suit, rising by 8.45% to $1,585. Other altcoins also rode the recovery wave. Solana rose 8.41%, Dogecoin saw a 6.89% uptick, and XRP gained 10.26%. Cardano, Tron, Chainlink, and Avalanche posted gains of 9.60%, 5.58%, 9.33%, and 11.08%, respectively, in the past 24 hours. At press time, the global crypto market cap stands at $2.58 trillion, marking a 6.51% increase over the last day. Trading volume has also increased by 13.50%, suggesting renewed investor activity. While Trump’s 90-day delay offers temporary relief, whether other countries will face trade tariffs higher than 10% once the pause ends is unknown.