The global trade war could be coming to an end sooner than expected, with the United States and China announcing a significant de-escalation in a new trade deal on Monday.
Following US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, the two superpowers agreed to pause their reciprocal tariffs during a 90-day negotiation period.
Starting May 14th, the US will reduce its tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while China will reduce its duties on US imports to just 10%.
US stocks are up sharply on the news, with all major indices surging by more than 2.5% in pre-market futures.
Crypto prices also saw a sharp bounce, with Bitcoin reaching $105,600 and Ethereum $2,600 before a pullback. Meme coins continue to be among the top crypto gainers today, with Dogwifhat, Pepe and XRP grabbing the headlines.
How Will The US-China Trade Deal Affect Crypto Prices?
The US-China trade agreement alleviates a significant source of uncertainty in the crypto market, clearing the path for the ongoing bull run to gain further momentum.
The two superpowers have agreed to a 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs, starting May 14th. Although the 30% U.S. tariff on Chinese imports remains high and could have recessionary and inflationary effects in the long term, it marks a significant de-escalation in trade tensions from the U.S. side.
Meanwhile, China’s 10% tariff on US imports is being viewed as a win for the Americans as well.
The 90-day pause means that the Bitcoin price can continue to follow the Global M2 money supply’s trajectory. For the uninitiated, the Global M2 has a strong correlation with BTC and recently accurately predicted its April 7th bottom.
Now, GMI’s Julian Bittel’s chart indicates that the Bitcoin price is headed to $160,000, potentially by August 2025.
BTC’s uptrend means that the altseason can continue to gain further momentum.
Top Crypto Gainers After US-China Deal
Crypto prices are seeing a retrace following the US market open on Monday. However, this downside move is likely a fakeout.
Following major geopolitical or macroeconomic announcements, the market’s initial reaction tends to be the most accurate indicator in the long term. In contrast, the subsequent reversal move is often a false signal designed to trap late longs and shorts.
Investors could also be de-leveraging ahead of Tuesday’s CPI inflation data release.
Despite the short-term pullback, Monday’s top crypto gainers have confirmed which assets will be among the top performers for the coming week.
For instance, the Dogwifhat price has rallied by 45% over the past 24 hours, trading as high as $1.33, before shedding some gains. While some investors are taking profits, others are anticipating a rally to $1.70.
$WIF RALLY ALERT!
Up 250%—$1.7 next? Watch this! #WIF #CryptoRally #Trading pic.twitter.com/vWZd4bNe0K
— Solberg Invest (@SolbergInvest) May 12, 2025
Pepe also registered strong gains, rallying by 13% on Monday. If it manages to secure a bullish continuation, PEPE will continue to be among the best cryptos to buy now.
Meanwhile, XRP is defying the market-wide pullback and is up by 8% to trade at $2.57. Experts believe that new all-time highs are imminent for XRP.
These Cryptos Are Next To Explode
While the majors are shedding their gains, a few altcoins are on the cusp of a major rally.
For instance, prominent analyst Nebraskangooner claims that Cronos (CRO) hasn’t exploded just yet but a breakout rally appears imminent.
$CRO
One of those altcoins that's really close to popping off. If it can just reclaim this resistance it should rocket launch up out of here. pic.twitter.com/0nq11bj8Z6
— Nebraskangooner (@Nebraskangooner) May 12, 2025
Meanwhile, Saga (SAGA) has finally broken out of its descending trendline, a pattern that has resulting in explosive rallies in other assets.
Bought a bag of $SAGA here..!!
PAMP it Hard..#Crypto #SAGA #SAGAUSDT pic.twitter.com/hkiomrgsIQ
— Captain Faibik (@CryptoFaibik) May 12, 2025
A new Ethereum-based AI agent coin, MIND of Pepe (MIND), is also in high demand, having already raised over $9 million in its ICO.
Sidelined investors finally have a chance to invest in a promising AI crypto early, with token going live early in June. However, its presale is ending on May 31st itself.
MIND of Pepe’s AI agent is now already live and MIND holders will soon start to receive cutting-edge market alpha.
Unsurprisingly, smart money investors are bullish on its upside potential, with many calling it the next 100x crypto.
Visit MIND of Pepe Presale
This article has been provided by one of our commercial partners and does not reflect Cryptonomist’s opinion. Please be aware our commercial partners may use affiliate programs to generate revenues through the links on this article.