Bitcoin demonstrated remarkable resilience on May 26, 2025, holding firm above $109,000 as global markets digested the latest twist in the escalating trade war between the United States and the European Union. President Donald Trump’s decision to delay his proposed 50% tariff on EU goods until July 9 provided temporary relief to risk assets, but the underlying tensions continue to cast a long shadow over the global economic outlook.
TL;DR
- President Trump extends the deadline for 50% EU tariffs to July 9 after a call with EC President Ursula von der Leyen
- Bitcoin rebounds from a weekend low of $106,660 to trade above $109,400, extending a seven-week winning streak
- BlackRock’s IBIT spot Bitcoin ETF records 30 consecutive days of net inflows, signaling deepening institutional commitment
- QCP Capital describes crypto as the “grown-up at the table” as digital assets outperform tech equities amid policy chaos
- Traders watch the $109,000–$112,000 resistance zone as Bitcoin targets its eighth consecutive green weekly close
Tariff Reprieve Sparks Market Relief
The catalyst for Monday’s risk-on sentiment was Trump’s announcement that he would postpone the implementation of 50% tariffs on European Union imports, a threat he had first made on May 23. The reprieve came after a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who publicly stated that Europe needed until July 9 to “reach a good deal” with the United States.
“Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively,” von der Leyen wrote on social media following the conversation. The extension replaced an earlier schedule that would have seen the punitive tariffs take effect in June, a timeline that had spooked markets just days earlier when Bitcoin dipped below $108,000 on the initial announcement.
European equities opened higher on Monday, and U.S. stock futures pointed to gains as well, though most American markets were closed for the Memorial Day holiday. The temporary easing of trade tensions provided enough fuel for Bitcoin to reclaim the $109,000 level, with the cryptocurrency touching an intraday high near $110,100 before consolidating.
Bitcoin’s Eight-Week Win Streak in Focus
Beyond the immediate price action, Bitcoin’s macro picture continues to strengthen. The close above $109,000 on May 25 marked the seventh consecutive bullish weekly close for the largest cryptocurrency. If the current trajectory holds through the end of the week, Bitcoin would notch its eighth straight green weekly close — a feat that has occurred only three times since 2014.
Historical data suggests that such extended winning streaks have consistently preceded six to twelve months of positive price action. According to crypto analyst Carpe Noctom, while the week immediately following an eight-week streak has sometimes seen pullbacks, the medium-term outlook has always turned positive within six months to a year.
Key resistance lies between $109,588 and $111,980, with Bitcoin’s all-time high of $111,900 serving as the critical level to flip into support. Analysts point to $130,000 as a potential target if bulls can sustain momentum above the current resistance zone. On the downside, major support sits at $106,000 to $104,500, with the psychological $100,000 level providing a secondary floor.
Institutional Inflows Defy Macro Headwinds
Perhaps the most significant development underlying Bitcoin’s price stability is the continued strength of institutional demand. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by assets under management, has recorded 30 consecutive days of net inflows — a streak that demonstrates the structural, rather than speculative, nature of current institutional participation.
This sustained accumulation stands in stark contrast to the outflows seen in technology-focused equity products. The TQQQ Nasdaq ETF has experienced sustained outflows since April, even as the broader equity market has shown resilience. QCP Capital, in its May 26 market analysis, highlighted this growing divergence between crypto and tech equities as evidence of a broader capital rotation.
“In a world of erratic policymaking, crypto increasingly looks like the grown-up at the table,” QCP researchers wrote, framing Bitcoin’s stability amid geopolitical and economic crosscurrents as a marker of its maturation as an asset class.
Trump Media’s $3 Billion Crypto Gambit
Adding another layer of complexity to the regulatory and political landscape, the Financial Times reported on May 26 that Trump Media and Technology Group is planning to raise $3 billion to invest in cryptocurrencies. The move, if confirmed, would represent one of the largest corporate treasury allocations to digital assets and further blurs the line between the Trump administration’s policy decisions and the cryptocurrency market.
The report comes amid a broader trend of corporate adoption, with public companies increasingly viewing Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. While Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin acquisition strategy has slowed through 2025, the potential entry of Trump Media signals that the corporate treasury trend is expanding beyond its initial pioneers.
Macro Crosscurrents and the Road Ahead
Beyond tariffs, several macroeconomic factors are influencing Bitcoin’s trajectory. The U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, is scheduled for release later in the week and could influence rate-cut expectations. Meanwhile, escalating port congestion in Europe — now spreading to Asia and the United States — threatens to drive shipping costs higher and reignite inflationary pressures indirectly.
QCP Capital noted that the rapid compression of the Bitcoin July-to-June volatility spread from over 2 vols to under 1 suggests traders are already hedging against further policy surprises ahead of the new July 9 tariff deadline. The firm’s analysts interpret this as a sign that the market is pricing in another potential policy pivot, keeping volatility elevated even as spot prices remain buoyant.
For now, Bitcoin’s price action tells a story of resilience. The cryptocurrency has bounced back from every macro shock of 2025 — from Trump’s initial tariff announcements to regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical tensions — each time finding support at progressively higher levels. Whether this strength persists through the summer will depend largely on the outcome of U.S.-EU trade negotiations, the trajectory of Federal Reserve policy, and the continued willingness of institutions to allocate capital to the digital asset space.
Why This Matters
Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $109,000 through repeated macroeconomic shocks represents a qualitative shift in how the market treats digital assets. No longer a purely speculative vehicle that crumbles at the first sign of geopolitical tension, Bitcoin is increasingly behaving as a mature store of value — one that institutional investors trust enough to keep buying through uncertainty. The combination of record ETF inflows, corporate treasury adoption, and price stability during trade wars suggests that the infrastructure and conviction supporting Bitcoin have fundamentally changed from previous cycles. Whether the eighth green week materializes or a pullback intervenes, the underlying trend is unmistakable: capital is flowing into Bitcoin not despite the chaos, but increasingly because of it.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
BTC dipping to $106,660 on the tariff threat then recovering to $109,400 in 3 days. the buy the dip reflex is unstoppable now
IBIT with 30 straight days of inflows while traditional markets panicked about tariffs. QCP was right, crypto IS the grownup at the table