Crypto Resilience Emerges: Bitcoin Diverges From Tumbling U.S. Equities

Bitcoin Stays Steady as Wall Street Nosedives, Hinting at Possible Decoupling

Bitcoin may finally be charting its own course, offering a glimmer of hope to bulls long awaiting a break from its stock market correlation.

Despite a brutal two-day selloff in U.S. equities—sparked by President Trump’s surprise tariff announcement—bitcoin (BTC) is holding its ground. While the Nasdaq has plunged another 5% Friday after a 6% drop the day before, BTC is trading around $83,000, up about 1% on the day and showing only modest losses since the tariff shock.

That strength stands in stark contrast to crypto-linked stocks like Coinbase (COIN), MicroStrategy (MSTR), and Semler Scientific (SMLR), which have each seen steep double-digit drops.

Elsewhere in the crypto sector, signs of momentum are building. The CoinDesk 20 Index has turned positive, with altcoins like XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) posting 4–5% gains, suggesting growing investor interest in the broader market even as equities suffer.

“Bitcoin’s ability to hold firm amid this week’s chaos is notable,” said David Hernandez of 21Shares. “It’s beginning to behave more like a macro hedge again, something many in the space have been watching for.”

That potential role as a hedge could boost bitcoin’s standing with institutional players looking to reduce exposure to increasingly volatile equity markets.

Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick echoed the sentiment, saying that while bitcoin often mimics tech stocks, it tends to pivot during moments of heightened economic or political risk. “This looks like another case where bitcoin may be acting as a geopolitical or isolationist hedge,” he noted.

Still, others believe the current stability could be driven by internal crypto forces—particularly the large-scale BTC buying from companies like GameStop or MicroStrategy.

“There’s likely a sustained treasury buy underway,” said Fundstrat’s Sean Farrell. “If bitcoin can hold up through the weekend while markets digest these shocks, that’s when we’ll know if something bigger is shifting.”