This Week in Crypto News (April 14–20, 2025): Bitcoin Steadies as Global Trade Tensions Deepen

The cryptocurrency market has experienced a week of significant developments, with geopolitical tensions, regulatory actions, and market dynamics influencing investor sentiment. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the key events shaping the crypto landscape during this period.

Bitcoin Maintains Stability Amid Escalating U.S.-China Trade Tensions

Despite the intensifying trade war between the United States and China, Bitcoin (BTC) has demonstrated resilience. Following President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 34% tariff on Chinese imports, Beijing responded with reciprocal measures, raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 84% . These developments have heightened concerns about global economic stability.​

In the face of these challenges, Bitcoin’s price has remained relatively stable, hovering around the $87,500 mark. Over a 24-hour period, BTC experienced a slight decline of approximately 0.6%, while the broader CoinDesk 20 Index saw a decrease of about 2% .​

Market Dynamics: Altcoins Experience Volatility

While Bitcoin has maintained its position, several major altcoins have faced significant volatility. XRP and Solana (SOL) both experienced declines exceeding 20%, breaching critical support levels. Dogecoin (DOGE) also saw a sharp decrease, reflecting broader market bearish sentiment.​

Analysts attribute this sell-off to a combination of macroeconomic uncertainties, aggressive liquidations nearing $1 billion, and the recent tariff measures by President Trump, which have prompted investors to seek safer assets.​

Regulatory Developments in the U.S.

The U.S. House of Representatives released a bill aimed at reducing systemic risks associated with stablecoin usage. The proposed legislation seeks to enhance oversight of stablecoin issuers and establish clearer compliance frameworks for dollar-pegged digital assets. This move has been generally welcomed by the crypto industry, particularly by platforms advocating for regulated growth.

Additionally, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing to evaluate the nomination of Paul Atkins as the next Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Atkins, who reportedly holds up to $6 million in crypto-related assets, could influence the SEC’s stance on digital assets toward a more innovation-friendly approach, though concerns about potential conflicts of interest have been raised.

Ethereum’s Pectra Testnet Advances

Ethereum continues its development trajectory with the launch of the final “Pectra” testnet on the Hoodi network. This milestone sets the stage for upcoming upgrades aimed at increasing transaction throughput, improving decentralization, and enhancing validator efficiency. The Pectra upgrade includes improvements to the peer-to-peer networking layer and expands Ethereum’s ability to support rollups, a crucial scaling solution.

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) in Focus

Several major DAOs engaged in key votes and discussions:

• dYdX DAO: Considered allocating $10 million to fund top-performing traders on its platform to attract more volume and elite talent.

• Venus DAO: Debated acquiring a 33% stake in Thena.fi for $4.5 million, aiming to become a DeFi “super app” on the BNB Chain.

• Balancer DAO: Discussed launching an Alliance Program to share revenue with key ecosystem partners, an initiative that could improve alignment across the DeFi landscape.

These initiatives highlight the evolving nature of decentralised governance and strategic planning within the crypto ecosystem.

Final Thoughts 

Crypto continues to mature in an environment that’s anything but predictable. From international diplomacy to Capitol Hill, the events shaping the world are increasingly intersecting with the evolution of digital assets while the broader market has paused its rally for now, innovation in infrastructure, regulation, and use cases continues at full speed.

Stay sharp, stay informed — and remember to invest wisely and protect your assets during these uncertain times.

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