New Report Reveals Bitcoin’s Growing Resilience in Bear Market

Key Takeaways:

• Bitcoin's price decline has been milder than stocks, according to Wintermute. 
• The U.S.-China tariff battle drives current market instability.
• While uncertainty persists, these conditions could boost Bitcoin adoption, currently at just 4% globally.

A recent report revealed that Bitcoin’s price has held up relatively well during the ongoing market downturn compared to traditional markets like stocks. Major U.S. indexes such as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell to their lowest levels, largely due to rising tensions over trade tariffs. 

Bitcoin's Price Rises 7% to $83,700 Amid Volatile Macroeconomic Conditions

According to a Wintermute report published on April 14, the price of BTC jumped 7% last week, reaching $83,700. 

The report links this rally to growing investor interest in crypto assets as traditional markets wobble under macroeconomic uncertainty.

https://t.co/90dBDrDniM

— Wintermute (@wintermute_t) April 15, 2025

At press time, Bitcoin's price remains stable at around the $83,000 level, showing signs of strength despite a deeply bearish market across global equities. 

The broader crypto market has mirrored this resilience, even as major financial indexes sink under pressure.

The chaos kicked off on April 2 when President Trump declared “Liberation Day,” unveiling a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports, with steeper duties targeting strategic partners, particularly China.

Just days later, on April 6, U.S. stock futures slumped. The S&P 500 futures fell 5.98%, the Nasdaq 100 dropped 6.2%, and the Dow slid 5.5%. 

In response to market panic and growing diplomatic friction, the U.S. temporarily softened trade tariffs for most countries, bringing them back to a 10% base. 

But China faced a different approach – Washington slapped a punishing 145% duty on Chinese imports. Beijing wasted no time retaliating, raising trade tariffs on U.S. imports from 34% to 125%. 

Despite all these, Bitcoin prices didn’t fall off a cliff. Instead, they corrected modestly, pulling back to the $70K—$80K price levels seen around the time of the U.S. elections in November 2024.

The Wintermute report highlighted a striking change. Bitcoin no longer follows its old patterns.

During past financial crises, Bitcoin fell harder than stocks. Not this time. Wintermute calls this new stability “growing resilience amid macroeconomic turbulence.”

This shift signals a bigger story – one that BlackRock's latest data confirms. Their report reveals crypto adoption is now accelerating at unprecedented speeds.

Time taken to reach 300M users:
Mobile Phones – 21 years
Internet – 15 years
Crypto – 12 years

Crypto's pace of adoption has been even faster than mobile phones & the internet!
Prediction: Crypto will hit 1 billion users by 2030

Image credit: @BlackRock pic.twitter.com/EteNuQDWY0

— Sumit Gupta (CoinDCX) (@smtgpt) January 14, 2025

In just 12 years, Bitcoin has reached over 300 million users globally. For comparison, mobile phones took 21 years and the internet 15 years to achieve similar milestones.

BTC ETFs Hold Steady at $103 AuM Despite Ongoing Outflows

The Wintermute report also focused on ETFs, revealing that Bitcoin ETFs remain relatively stable despite continued outflows. 

Over the past week, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $700 million in outflows. BlackRock’s IBIT led the pack, losing $343 million, while Grayscale’s GBTC followed with $160 million in outflows.

Yet even with this wave of redemptions, the assets under management (AuM) in Bitcoin ETFs remain solid at $103 billion in value. 

This figure suggests a deep base of institutional interest despite short-term uncertainty.

Many analysts believe that if trade tensions ease and the global economy finds its footing, Bitcoin price and ETF adoption could accelerate dramatically. 

Bitcoin’s reputation as a digital store of value could gain new momentum in a post-tariff world.

Still, global adoption has a long way to go. A new study by River Financial shows that just 4% of the world’s population owns Bitcoin. 

Bitcoin’s adoption is shifting dramatically.

It’s already the fastest-spreading form of money in history.

But now it’s entering a new phase. Our latest research shows why 👇 pic.twitter.com/ETCeexE2GN

— River (@River) February 25, 2025

Ownership rates are highest in wealthier countries, with the U.S. leading at 14%. The report further detailed that Bitcoin has only tapped into a fraction of its potential.