Tariffs, Tension & Key Levels: Markets on Edge
This week will be remembered as a historic moment in global markets, but unfortunately not for the right reasons. The U.S. rolled out tariffs on 185 countries simultaneously, triggering sharp sell offs rarely seen at this scale. While short term fear and uncertainity remains, the bigger picture remains optimistic. We're seeing key support levels on Bitcoin hold, and signs that large capital is waiting for clearer conditions. Bitcoin is currently trading around $75,000, with Ethereum at $1,450, as the market looks for its next move from macro pressure and rapidly shifting sentiment.
Furthermore within the crypto space there are rising headlines that 400,000 investors are currently unable to receive their FTX repayments due to insufficient KYC, representing around $2.5 billion in stuck funds. It's a clear reminder that, like it or not, KYC is becoming essential to protect your assets if you're holding with an exchange or brokerage.
Weekly Price Update
Buying Gold On The Blockchain
With inflation climbing and global uncertainty rising, more investors are turning to gold. What many don’t know is that you can buy and hold gold digitally.
Here’s how it works:
Gold Backed Tokens: Platforms like Paxos Gold (PAXG) offer digital tokens that are backed by real gold stored in secure vaults. Each token represents one ounce of physical gold, and it’s fully backed, audited, and trackable.
Verified Ownership: These tokens live on the blockchain, meaning your ownership is recorded securely and can’t be changed or faked. For PAXG, the gold is even redeemable if you ever want physical delivery.
Why It’s Gaining Interest: Buying gold this way offers instant settlement, low minimum investment, and global access, all without going through banks or other hurdles. Another key benefit is it's a 24/7 traded asset unlike Gold ETFs that are only traded in market hours.
At UpTrade, our clients can buy and sell gold backed tokens directly. If you’re looking for exposure to Gold, explore your options with your broker today!
Tariff Update - Market Reaction
Global markets have plunged following President Trump’s imposition of a minimum 10% tariff on imports from 185 countries, creating real fears of a full scale trade war, if it hasn’t already started. This aggressive policy, triggered another sharp sell off which was anticipated if these went through, with Bitcoin sliding below $75,000 briefly.
To amplify this chaos, a false CNBC report claiming the White House had paused tariffs for 90 days sparked a rapid rally across U.S. and crypto markets, only for prices to retrace once the White House spoke out as "fake news." This action tell us that significant liquidity is waiting on the sidelines, ready to enter once conditions stabilise.
S&P 500 Reaction
Emergency Rate Cuts?
As markets are on edge, some believe the Federal Reserve needs to act fast. J.P. Morgan’s Bob Michele says the current sell off rivals only three other moments in modern history: 1987, 2008 GFC, and the 2020 COVID crash, all of which triggered emergency Fed responses. “I don’t know if they can even make it to the May meeting before they start bringing rates down,” he said, criticising the idea of waiting for damage before responding.
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Michele’s call aligns closely with Trump’s vision for aggressive cuts to protect the economy. While the Fed remains quiet, speculation is growing that Trump’s influence could pressure a faster pivot. Meanwhile, in Australia, all four major banks have now revised or accelerated their forecasts, expecting three rate cuts this year, starting next month.
Proof Of Success Podcast - Bitcoin & M2: Secret Bullish Indicator
In this episode of Proof of Success, we break down the current crypto landscape, covering Trump’s tariffs, shifting macro sentiment, and how it’s all impacting Bitcoin and broader markets.
We explore Bitcoin’s correlation with global liquidity (M2), institutional moves from BlackRock, and what figures like Warren Buffett are signalling. Plus, we look at the rising narrative of Bitcoin as a strategic reserve.
Tune in for sharp insights on positioning, portfolio strategy, and the evolving role of Bitcoin as digital gold.
To Watch Now
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Bitcoin Heat Map Analysis
Over on our Patreon, we’ve been closely tracking Bitcoin heatmaps, and $75K has consistently stood out as a key support zone, one that many may have overlooked. During the recent chaos, we saw large limit orders stacked at that level, and BTC bounced cleanly off it. That support is still holding strong, but there’s a new development, $70K is now building serious buy interest, with large limit orders appearing that weren’t there in previous weeks.
This is both good and bad news. A break below $75K won’t mean a full collapse, it’ll now be met with stronger buy support at $70K. But below that? It’s currently thin air down to $58K. Heat maps don’t predict the future, but they do show us where big money is sitting, waiting to step in or even at times manipulating the price into that zone.
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