Crypto Market Plunges Amid Trade War Fears and Waning Consumer Confidence

The crypto market has experienced a significant decline, with valuations falling double digits across the board due to fears of a trade war and waning consumer confidence. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin have seen notable losses, with Bitcoin down 8.2%, Ethereum down 9.2%, and Dogecoin off 9.1%.

The declines seem to be slowing, but it’s unclear whether there will be a recovery in trading today. The crypto market is heavily correlated with the economy and growth stocks, making it sensitive to economic indicators such as consumer confidence.

A recent drop in the consumer confidence index, which fell from 105.3 in January to 98.3 this month, suggests that consumers are losing faith in the economy. This decrease was the largest since August 2021, indicating a potential recession. The concern is also about tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, set to start in March, as well as reciprocal tariffs, which may begin as early as April.

The market’s current run, driven by speculation and changes in enforcement, seems to be losing momentum. As the value of more blockchain usage becomes clearer, tokens like stablecoins are gaining real utility, potentially disrupting the financial ecosystem. This could lead to further pain for many cryptocurrencies.

As the U.S. economy teeters closer to a recession, it’s likely that cryptocurrencies will continue to fall, especially as leverage in the industry is washed out. With consumer confidence at an all-time low, investors may be wise to take risk off the table and reassess their involvement in the crypto market.

Source: https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/02/25/why-bitcoin-ethereum-and-dogecoin-crashed-today