Bitcoin Struggles Near $91K as Tariff Threats and Macro Uncertainty Shake Crypto Markets

Bitcoin price action remained constrained on Monday, with BTC hovering around $91,000 after briefly dipping below that level amid renewed geopolitical and macroeconomic tensions. The crypto market reacted cautiously after Donald Trump announced a proposed 25% tariff on any country conducting business with Iran, a move that heightened global risk aversion and pressured digital assets during U.S. trading hours.

Despite the volatility, Bitcoin is still up roughly 0.8% over the past 24 hours, though repeated rejections near the $92,000 level underline the market’s lack of conviction. Ethereum followed a similar path, trading just under $3,100 and slipping around 0.6% on the day, reflecting broader consolidation across major cryptocurrencies.

While large-cap assets stayed rangebound, privacy-focused cryptocurrencies outperformed the market. Monero surged more than 15% to reclaim the $600 level, Zcash gained about 7%, and RAIL posted gains exceeding 30%. These moves came even as Dubai announced restrictions on privacy coins, suggesting continued investor demand for censorship-resistant crypto assets despite regulatory pressure.

Crypto mining stocks also rallied after Meta unveiled its “Meta Compute” initiative, aimed at expanding large-scale AI and data center infrastructure. Shares of Iren, Bitfarms, Riot Platforms, Bitdeer, and Cipher Mining rose between 6% and 10%, benefiting from optimism around high-performance computing demand.

In traditional markets, gold and silver prices reached new record highs as investors sought safe-haven assets. Sentiment was further impacted after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed he is facing a criminal investigation, intensifying tensions between the Fed and the Trump administration.

Analysts note that Bitcoin faces strong resistance between $93,500 and $95,000, a zone that has capped recent rallies. With derivatives positioning reset and macro volatility elevated due to inflation data, bank earnings, and geopolitical risks, traders are watching whether BTC can reclaim $95,000 and ETH $3,500 to signal the next bullish phase.