🚨 Gold Futures Hit Record Highs Amid U.S. Tariff Shock — How Will This Affect Bitcoin?
🚀 Gold futures surged to an all-time high of $3,534/oz on Friday after the U.S. confirmed tariffs on imported gold bars — a rare policy move shaking precious metals markets. The tariffs apply to 1kg and 100oz bars, key formats in U.S. gold imports, particularly from Switzerland.
📈 The move drove a widening gap between futures and spot prices, creating arbitrage opportunities and triggering speculative buying. Analysts warn this could lead to a short squeeze on COMEX as delivery obligations rise.
🪙 Gold's rally comes amid lower rate expectations and rising global trade tensions — conditions that have historically benefitted #Bitcoin (BTC) as a non-yielding, alternative store of value.
💡 Though BTC slipped 1% in the last 24 hours, tokenized gold assets like PAXG and XAUT saw modest gains. The pricing distortion in physical gold markets could make "digital gold" like Bitcoin more attractive, given its immunity to tariffs and political borders.
⚠️ However, there's uncertainty: a White House official later claimed the tariff decision was miscommunicated, suggesting imported gold bars may not be subject to duties after all. If reversed, some of the speculative premium in gold futures could unwind.
