Crypto: Bitcoin Drops, Markets Panic After Beijing's Retaliation

The story will remember this weekend in October 2025. Not for a technological feat or a step towards peace. No. For a record liquidation of 20 billion dollars, wiping out in a few hours the hopes of thousands of investors. Some lost fortunes, others, maybe their lives. And all because of one man: Trump. His obsession? A trade war with China. His latest salvo: 100% tariffs on their products. But this time, China struck back. And guess who suffers again? Bitcoin. And the whole crypto with it.

Bitcoin Facing Macro Missiles: A Storm Named Trump

When President Trump threatens, markets shake. And this time, it’s not a mere impulsive tweet: it’s a brutal policy. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports triggered a shockwave. In response, China targeted American subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean, a key player in shipbuilding.

Immediate result: Asian markets plunge. The Nikkei loses 3%, S&P 500 futures tumble 0.7%. And Bitcoin? -3%.

But that’s just the surface. The domino effect wiped out long positions, causing massive liquidations of 630 million dollars. Platforms like CoinGlass confirmed that two-thirds of eliminated positions were bullish. At the same time, Ethereum falls 7.5%, Dogecoin and XRP nearly 6%.

Bitcoin, often presented as a “digital safe haven,” behaved like a risky asset. Fear spreads, gold rises, investors retreat. Even the yen, often ignored, regained strength against the dollar.

USA and Industrial War: Beijing Plays the Rare Earths Card

The USA-China trade war has entered a new phase. Gone are the boastful tweets. Now it’s industrial strategy. Beijing now restricts exports of rare earths: neodymium, dysprosium, names that may not excite but are essential for all that shines: EVs, smartphones, servers, and… Bitcoin mining ASICs.

China controls 85 to 90% of the world’s refined rare earth production. A grip that becomes a weapon. This decision already affects miners’ costs, especially those relocated in Texas or Kazakhstan. There, energy is expensive, and without Chinese magnets, machines run slower. Rising costs, falling profitability.

This ripple effect goes further: some analysts fear a contraction in miners’ activity, hence the hashrate. A spiral that could again affect BTC’s price.

Meanwhile, altcoins follow the tune. Cardano, Solana, even memecoins. All hesitate, all bow. The market lost over 150 billion dollars in 24 hours.

Markets in Panic: Bitcoin at the Center of Chaos, Traders Under Pressure

Emotion took precedence over strategy. On X, some traders talk about panic. Others speak of a once-in-a-decade opportunity. But volatility shows no mercy. Between those who “HODL” and those who short wildly, the pressure rises.

Here are 5 key facts summarizing this crisis:

• 20 billion $: cumulative losses on the crypto derivatives market after Sino-American announcements;
• 113,000 $ to 103,800 $: range of bitcoin price drop in 72 hours;
• 85%: share of the global REE market controlled by China;
• 7.5%: Ethereum drop in a single London session;
• 5 US subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean targeted by Beijing: symbol of a conflict touching alliances.

Trump tried to reassure: “everything will be fine.” But Beijing responded immediately: ready to go all the way. The mood was set. Result? Bitcoin remains under pressure, while altcoins seek an anchor point.

Bitcoin withstands. It’s its trademark. Resilient, sometimes faltering, but always standing. Some analysts predict a spectacular turnaround, estimating that the king asset could defy all the rules within a few days. A phrase that sounds like hope for those who still believe that, even after the storm, BTC will write another story.