Trump’s latest move in the spiraling tariff standoff with China sent markets into a surprising upswing. After Beijing fired back with an 84% tariff hike on U.S. goods, Trump didn’t flinch - he raised tariffs on Chinese products to a staggering 125%. But in a twist, he simultaneously paused existing tariffs on other nations for 90 days and reduced reciprocal duties to just 10%.

That combination of hardline pressure and global relief spooked then soothed the markets. Bitcoin spiked 6.4%, climbing from $78,400 to as high as $83,400 before cooling to $81,700. ETH and SOL followed suit with 8.0% and 7.7% gains, respectively. DeFi and memecoins also staged a rally, with PENDLE, HYPE, and POPCAT clocking double-digit growth. FARTCOIN - yes, still very much a thing - shot up 34.7%, jumping from $0.54 to $0.73 in just hours.

Perhaps most eyebrow-raising was Trump’s oddly timed social media post, urging followers to “buy” shortly before the tariff pause was made public. Coincidence? Maybe. But don’t be surprised if these sudden pivots become a recurring theme.