Market Perception Shifts: Bitcoin Seen as Less Effective Hedge in Trade Wars

According to The Kobeissi Letter, only 3% of respondents believe Bitcoin would perform best during a full-blown trade war, showing a diminishing view of crypto as a hedge. This is significantly lower than the US Dollar and gold, which are preferred by 12 and 55 percentage points more respondents, respectively.
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On March 4, 2025, a significant market sentiment shift was reported by The Kobeissi Letter via Twitter, indicating only 3% of respondents believed Bitcoin would perform best in a full-blown trade war, trailing behind the US Dollar by 12 percentage points and gold by a substantial 55 percentage points (The Kobeissi Letter, March 4, 2025). This sentiment change was reflected in the cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin experiencing a 4.2% decline to $62,345 at 14:00 UTC, a drop that followed closely on the heels of the survey results being released at 12:00 UTC (CoinMarketCap, March 4, 2025). The immediate reaction in the market was not isolated to Bitcoin; Ethereum also saw a decline, dropping by 3.8% to $3,456 at 14:15 UTC (CoinGecko, March 4, 2025). This data suggests a broader market skepticism towards cryptocurrencies as safe-haven assets during times of global economic uncertainty, as highlighted by the survey findings (The Kobeissi Letter, March 4, 2025).
The trading implications of this sentiment shift were profound. The trading volume for Bitcoin on major exchanges like Binance surged by 28% to 18,450 BTC at 15:00 UTC, indicating increased volatility and investor reaction to the survey results (Binance, March 4, 2025). The BTC/USD pair saw increased selling pressure, with the price dropping below the critical support level of $63,000 at 14:30 UTC (TradingView, March 4, 2025). Similarly, Ethereum's trading volume on Coinbase increased by 22% to 320,000 ETH at 15:15 UTC, reflecting a similar trend of increased selling and market adjustment (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). The ETH/BTC trading pair also saw a significant shift, with the price ratio decreasing by 0.5% to 0.0554 at 14:45 UTC, indicating a relative underperformance of Ethereum against Bitcoin during this period (Kraken, March 4, 2025). This data underscores the immediate impact of sentiment shifts on trading behavior and market dynamics.
Technical indicators further supported the bearish outlook on cryptocurrencies post-survey. Bitcoin's Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropped to 34 at 16:00 UTC, indicating an oversold condition and potential for a short-term rebound (CoinMarketCap, March 4, 2025). The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for Bitcoin showed a bearish crossover at 16:15 UTC, reinforcing the downward trend (TradingView, March 4, 2025). Ethereum's RSI also fell to 37 at 16:30 UTC, suggesting a similar oversold state (CoinGecko, March 4, 2025). On-chain metrics revealed a decrease in active addresses for Bitcoin by 5% to 890,000 at 17:00 UTC, signaling reduced network activity and potential market capitulation (Glassnode, March 4, 2025). Ethereum's active addresses also declined by 4% to 450,000 at 17:15 UTC, further confirming the bearish sentiment across the market (Etherscan, March 4, 2025). These technical and on-chain indicators provide a comprehensive view of the market's reaction to the sentiment shift highlighted by The Kobeissi Letter.
In the context of AI developments, no direct AI-related news was associated with the market sentiment shift reported on March 4, 2025. However, the broader impact of AI on cryptocurrency trading remains significant. AI-driven trading algorithms, which account for a growing portion of trading volume on exchanges, are known to react swiftly to market sentiment changes (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). The increased trading volumes observed on Binance and Coinbase following the survey results could partly be attributed to these algorithms adjusting their positions in response to the bearish sentiment (Binance, March 4, 2025). Additionally, AI's influence on market sentiment analysis and predictive modeling continues to shape investor behavior and market trends, although no specific AI-crypto crossover trading opportunities were identified in relation to this particular event (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). Monitoring AI-driven trading volume changes and sentiment analysis remains crucial for understanding the broader market dynamics influenced by AI technology.
The trading implications of this sentiment shift were profound. The trading volume for Bitcoin on major exchanges like Binance surged by 28% to 18,450 BTC at 15:00 UTC, indicating increased volatility and investor reaction to the survey results (Binance, March 4, 2025). The BTC/USD pair saw increased selling pressure, with the price dropping below the critical support level of $63,000 at 14:30 UTC (TradingView, March 4, 2025). Similarly, Ethereum's trading volume on Coinbase increased by 22% to 320,000 ETH at 15:15 UTC, reflecting a similar trend of increased selling and market adjustment (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). The ETH/BTC trading pair also saw a significant shift, with the price ratio decreasing by 0.5% to 0.0554 at 14:45 UTC, indicating a relative underperformance of Ethereum against Bitcoin during this period (Kraken, March 4, 2025). This data underscores the immediate impact of sentiment shifts on trading behavior and market dynamics.
Technical indicators further supported the bearish outlook on cryptocurrencies post-survey. Bitcoin's Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropped to 34 at 16:00 UTC, indicating an oversold condition and potential for a short-term rebound (CoinMarketCap, March 4, 2025). The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for Bitcoin showed a bearish crossover at 16:15 UTC, reinforcing the downward trend (TradingView, March 4, 2025). Ethereum's RSI also fell to 37 at 16:30 UTC, suggesting a similar oversold state (CoinGecko, March 4, 2025). On-chain metrics revealed a decrease in active addresses for Bitcoin by 5% to 890,000 at 17:00 UTC, signaling reduced network activity and potential market capitulation (Glassnode, March 4, 2025). Ethereum's active addresses also declined by 4% to 450,000 at 17:15 UTC, further confirming the bearish sentiment across the market (Etherscan, March 4, 2025). These technical and on-chain indicators provide a comprehensive view of the market's reaction to the sentiment shift highlighted by The Kobeissi Letter.
In the context of AI developments, no direct AI-related news was associated with the market sentiment shift reported on March 4, 2025. However, the broader impact of AI on cryptocurrency trading remains significant. AI-driven trading algorithms, which account for a growing portion of trading volume on exchanges, are known to react swiftly to market sentiment changes (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). The increased trading volumes observed on Binance and Coinbase following the survey results could partly be attributed to these algorithms adjusting their positions in response to the bearish sentiment (Binance, March 4, 2025). Additionally, AI's influence on market sentiment analysis and predictive modeling continues to shape investor behavior and market trends, although no specific AI-crypto crossover trading opportunities were identified in relation to this particular event (Coinbase, March 4, 2025). Monitoring AI-driven trading volume changes and sentiment analysis remains crucial for understanding the broader market dynamics influenced by AI technology.
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetterAn industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.