Ether and altcoins plunge over 20% following Trump tariffs
Ether (CRYPTO:ETH) and several major altcoins have experienced significant declines, dropping over 20% within a 23-hour period as the cryptocurrency market reacts to U.S. President Donald Trump's newly imposed tariffs.
On February 3, Ether fell sharply by 16% in just one hour, dropping to $2,368 before recovering slightly to $2,521.
Despite this recovery, Ether remains down 38% from its 2024 high of $4,078 reached on December 17.
Other cryptocurrencies also faced severe losses, with Avalanche (CRYPTO:AVAX), XRP (CRYPTO:XRP), Chainlink (CRYPTO:LINK), and Dogecoin (CRYPTO:DOGE) all recording drops exceeding 20%.
This downturn contributed to an overall 11.4% decrease in the cryptocurrency market capitalization, which now stands at approximately $3.17 trillion.
Markus Thielen, founder of 10x Research, noted that the sharp decline in altcoins reflects a combination of stop-loss triggers and a lack of buying interest from retail investors.
He pointed out that trading volumes had been declining in recent weeks, indicating a diminishing appetite for risk among traders.
While the market was aware of the potential for tariffs, they were not fully priced in due to investor focus on recent news developments.
Thielen warned that the market could face prolonged uncertainty rather than a brief shock, depending on the performance of U.S. equities.
In addition to the cryptocurrency sell-off, Nasdaq futures fell nearly 2.7%, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also experiencing declines of 2% and 1.5%, respectively.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped significantly into the "Fear" zone with a score of 44, reflecting heightened anxiety among investors.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) also saw a decline of 6.8%, trading around $94,743 after touching lows near $91,300 earlier in the day.
Thielen observed that rising Bitcoin dominance—up from approximately 61.1% to around 64%—suggests that risk-averse traders are moving away from altcoins in favor of Bitcoin as a safer asset during this turbulent period.
At the time of reporting, the Ethereum (ETH) price was $2,592.23.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Fantom’s Solid Pattern of Higher Lows: What’s Next for FTM Price?

LINK’s Nearly 5% Daily Jump Sparks Optimism- Will LINK Reach $20 Soon?

Sonic Soars Over 6%—Can a Successful Breakout Send It Toward $1?

Solana’s Path to $3,800—Will It Hold Above $130 This Weekend?

Trending news
MoreCrypto prices
More








