Bitcoin Whales Surge as Trump’s Tariff Pauses Spark Market FOMO

Bitcoin surged back into the spotlight this weekend after President Trump unexpectedly announced a 90-day pause on key tech tariffs on Wednesday. This move appears to have reignited risk appetite across the crypto market. 

The pause, which exempts products like smartphones, computer chips, and other critical components from previously announced 125% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports, has already sparked a notable rise in Bitcoin whale activity.

According to on-chain analytics platform Santiment, the number of wallets holding 10 or more BTC has jumped by 132 in just 24 hours, a strong indicator that high-stake investors are moving back in.

“Bitcoin’s whales and sharks are growing in number, indicating a sudden shift after Trump implemented his 90-day tariff pause yesterday,” Santiment tweeted Thursday. “This suggests a higher level of confidence from crypto’s key stakeholders.”

Notably, the tariff exemptions, covering around $390 billion in imports, including over $100 billion from China, were designed to give U.S. companies time to shift their supply chains away from China. For major tech firms like Apple and Nvidia, this provides short-term relief from what was shaping up to be a supply chain disaster. Prior to the exemption, Apple alone had lost over $640 billion in market value due to investor fears of rising production costs and inflated consumer prices.

But it’s not just the tech sector feeling the relief. Bitcoin surged past the $83,000 mark within hours of the announcement, briefly pulling back on Thursday before resuming its bullish momentum through Friday and into Saturday.

Strong social buzz, particularly around the words “exemption” and “tariffs,” has reinforced the rally, showing how closely market sentiment is tracking policy moves.

Crypto markets have long mirrored the performance of high-growth tech stocks, often being lumped into the “innovation” asset class. According to Santiment analyst BrainQ, both sectors take a hit when trade war fears rise. But as those fears ease, as they did this weekend, capital tends to flow back into both tech and crypto simultaneously.

This surge in confidence isn’t just about price. The tariff exemption also included semiconductor components, a critical part of the crypto ecosystem used in mining and blockchain development. Ensuring steady supply and cost-effective access to these chips supports the industry’s broader infrastructure.

That said, while trading activity remains elevated and whales appear to accumulate, broader public sentiment is just catching up, likely due to lower weekend news tracking. However, with Wall Street closed until Monday, many expect a tech stock rally to follow, which could further boost Bitcoin and altcoins in the coming days.

For now, all eyes are on how long this bullish momentum can last before crowd FOMO either accelerates or abruptly cools the rally.

BTC was trading at $83,455 at press time, reflecting a 2.77% surge in the past 24 hours.