Honestly, I started digging into this just to understand why Trump reacted the way he did with these new tariffs — and I didn’t expect it to lead this deep.

Some facts I found through spf.org:

What began as a trade war over goods has now turned into a fight for control over critical technologies and materials that literally power the modern world.

In April 2025, China tightened export controls on seven heavy rare earth elements — a direct response to U.S. tariffs.

These aren’t just “minerals.” They’re the foundation of everything from EV motors and turbines to defense systems and AI hardware.

And here’s what surprised me:

China doesn’t just mine these elements — it refines over 90% of them globally.

So even if other countries dig them out of the ground, most of it still goes through China for processing.

That’s where things get serious.

Delays in export licensing are already hitting supply chains, companies in the U.S. and Europe are slowing production, and prices of key elements like dysprosium and terbium have tripled since May.

It’s no longer about trade — it’s about economic security.

Countries are now racing to build their own refining capacity, but even the most optimistic forecasts say China will still control about 78% of refining by 2040.

🔍 What it means for markets and crypto

  • Tech and hardware companies face rising input costs.

  • Inflationary pressure could return if supply stays tight.

  • Safe-haven flows (like USD) might strengthen again.

  • Projects relying on physical hardware — like DePIN, nodes, or edge computing — could feel the squeeze.

If energy and hardware costs climb, even blockchain infrastructure gets thinner margins.

And that’s something most people don’t factor in when talking about “crypto fundamentals.”


I didn’t expect this to be so connected — from tariffs, to minerals, to AI and blockchain costs.

It’s a reminder that macro and tech are more linked than we think.


Do you see this as a turning point — where trade barriers move from goods to tech control?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

#TrumpTariffs #china #usd #Macro $BTC $SOL