Bitcoin (BTC) Price Struggles Near $80K as Growing Trade War Fears Stall Altcoin Season

Crypto markets stayed in the spotlight this week as Bitcoin struggled near $80K amid growing trade war fears.

Crypto markets stayed in the spotlight this week as Bitcoin struggled near $80K amid growing trade war fears. Altcoin season is near but still on hold until Bitcoin breaks higher, which didn't stop XRP, Kaspa, and meme coins from making moves.

The industry also saw major updates in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mining, and global adoption - from Ripple's big acquisition to US miners racing against tariffs. If you missed the action, here's a quick recap of this week's biggest crypto news.

Bitcoin Must Hit $85K Before Altcoin Season Kicks Off - Van de Poppe

Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe believes the next altcoin season won't start until Bitcoin breaks above $85,000.

The analyst argues that Bitcoin's strength drives market confidence, and only after Bitcoin clears this level will Ethereum (ETH) and other altcoins follow. Van de Poppe sees global factors like possible Fed rate cuts, QE, and a weaker US dollar as key for Bitcoin's rise.

For now, Bitcoin is holding support around $80,000, but a breakout could come fast if macro conditions align.

TRUMP Token Prepares for $320M Unlock as New Meme Coins Gain Attention

The TRUMP token is set for a major unlock on April 18, releasing 40 million tokens valued at $320 million - about 4% of its total supply.

With most tokens controlled by Trump-linked corporations, investors are bracing for potential price swings and sell pressure. Meanwhile, the new meme coin CARTFI is gaining attention with its innovative yield-generating model, turning idle meme coins into income-producing assets.

Presale has already raised $600K, positioning it as a potential standout in the next wave of DeFi-meme hybrids.

Kaspa Coin Jumps 13% Ahead of Major Network Upgrade

Kaspa Coin ($KAS) experienced a 13% rise this week, reaching a value of $0.075 as excitement builds for its upcoming Crescendo hard fork on May 5.

The upgrade is expected to boost the network's speed from 1 to 10 blocks per second without sacrificing security or decentralization - a rare feat for proof-of-work blockchains.

Traders see this as a bullish catalyst, with the $KAS price breaking key resistance levels. Analysts believe the Kaspa Coin price could target $0.085, $0.10, or even higher in the coming weeks if momentum holds.

FTX Unstakes $21.5M in Solana, Raising Fresh Selling Fears

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX and Alameda Research have unstaked 186,326 SOL tokens worth $21.5 million, continuing their asset liquidation process following FTX's 2022 collapse.

The move sparked new market jitters as Solana's price dropped 3.5% shortly after the unstaking, and trading volume spiked across SOL pairs.

While unstaking doesn't guarantee immediate sale, past behavior shows FTX often moves tokens to exchanges like Binance soon after. Market participants are now closely watching for potential selling pressure.

US Bitcoin Miners Scramble for ASICs Before Tariff Deadline

Bitcoin miners in the US are racing to import mining equipment ahead of Trump's proposed tariff hike on Chinese and Southeast Asian tech.

With tariffs reaching up to 36%, companies like Luxor Technology are chartering private flights to quickly deliver thousands of ASIC miners into the country.

The new tax threat could drive up costs, squeeze profit margins, and push smaller miners out of the market. Industry leaders warn that this scramble may reshape the mining landscape and shift global power dynamics.

Grayscale Adds Toncoin, TRON, and VeChain to Its Crypto Watchlist

Grayscale is expanding its crypto watchlist, signaling possible new investment products. The firm added Toncoin (TON), TRON (TRX), VeChain (VET), and several others, like Jito (JTO) and Helium (HNT), to its latest assets under consideration list.

This move shows Grayscale's growing interest in emerging sectors like DeFi, real-world assets (RWA), and tokenized IP. While there's no guarantee of listing, Grayscale's attention often sparks market buzz and could attract more institutional money to these projects.

VanEck Files for First-Ever Avalanche (AVAX) Spot ETF

Nasdaq filed to list the Avalanche ETF, aimed at providing investors with regulated exposure to AVAX, one of crypto's fastest-growing Layer 1 blockchain networks.

If approved by the SEC, it would mark one of the first US spot ETFs for an altcoin beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. VanEck chose Avalanche for its speed, scalability, and strong Web3 presence.

The move comes as competition heats up, with Grayscale also filing for Avalanche and other altcoin ETFs