Markets flipped into full risk-off mode after President Trump escalated trade tension with a headline that felt more geopolitical than economic. Trump announced 10% tariffs on imports from eight NATO allies, including Denmark, Norway, and Germany, starting February 1, with the tariff rate set to rise to 25% by June 1 unless those countries agree to sell Greenland to the United States.
The immediate response was classic macro rotation. Investors rushed into safe havens, pushing gold price record and silver price record moves to fresh highs. Meanwhile Bitcoin, often marketed as “digital gold,” reacted very differently. BTC dropped nearly $4,000 in about an hour, wiping out more than $525 million in bullish bets, a rapid liquidation cascade that reminded traders how fast crypto can deleverage during political shocks.
This divergence, metals soaring while Bitcoin sells off, is not a contradiction. It is a reflection of how liquidity, leverage, and risk perception function in different asset classes. For macro i