Cryptocurrency markets are trading higher on Friday, despite stock markets continuing to sell off amid China's retaliatory tariffs.

Notable Statistics:

• IntoTheBlock data shows large transaction volume increasing by 7.3% and daily active addresses growing by 6.5%. Transactions greater than $100,000 are down from 10,152 to 9,980 in a single day. Exchanges netflows are down by 498.2%.
• Coinglass data reports 88,275 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $264.95 million.

Notable Developments:

• Bitcoin Holds The Line At $82,000: What Traders See Happening Next
• Ripple Warns: This Country Is Falling Behind In The Crypto Race
• Iran-Backed Houthi Group Faces Sanctions On Cryptocurrency Wallets Funding War Efforts
• Bitcoin Is ‘The Best Of Tech,’ Standard Chartered Says
• Google Removes Bitcoin Developer Mailing List For ‘Policy Violations:’ Jack Dorsey Calls Out Sundar Pichai For Censorship
• Bill Miller’s Firm Slashed MicroStrategy Stake By 70%: The Move That Dodged A Costly Hit
• Coinbase Stock Drops Into A Death Cross: Will XRP Futures Be Its Comeback Catalyst?

Top Gainers:

Trader Notes: Santiment data highlighted that China's newly-announced 34% tariffs on U.S. goods have triggered a sharp drop in traditional markets, dragging stocks to 11-month lows. I

Bitcoin and major altcoins have remained relatively steady, showing resilience amid the macro volatility.

While sentiment has leaned slightly bearish since Trump's initial tariff announcement, crypto's stability in the face of escalating global tensions may point to underlying strength — and potential upside if conditions begin to ease.

Echoing that sentiment, crypto trader Ansem remarked after the China news, "and Bitcoin is just chilling in the same spot," underscoring the asset's relative calm.

IncomeSharks drew attention to Bitcoin's strong green candle and noted that the market has likely absorbed the recent wave of selling. The trader believes crypto now has a real shot at rebounding ahead of stocks — and potentially leading the recovery.

Crypto trader Kevin also pointed out the timing, emphasizing that Bitcoin is holding in the green while equities continue to bleed. "This definitely hints at a potential capital rotation, or at least a growing narrative shift," he said. He added that the BTC vs. S&P 500 chart will be particularly telling if the divergence persists.

With expectations of monetary easing building and corporate earnings facing pressure, Bitcoin is increasingly being viewed as both a hedge and a speculative opportunity.

It's one of those rare setups, Kevin explained, where "fear plus policy support equals crypto tailwinds." Still, he cautioned that the next few weeks will be critical in determining whether BTC can maintain this strength as equities remain under pressure.

Read Next: 

• Bitcoin Consolidates, But XRP May Have Topped: What’s Driving This Diversion?

Image: Shutterstock