PAXG Gold Stablecoin ($PAXG) Tops This Week's Interest

PAX Gold ($PAXG) is a stablecoin backed by physical gold, issued by Paxos. Amid the heightened uncertainty stemming from the global trade war, investors turned to PAXG tokens

This week's report:

Top Interest of the Week

PAXG is a stablecoin backed by physical gold, issued by Paxos. As global trade war uncertainty heightened, investors turned to PAXG tokens to gain exposure to gold. Despite a downturn in the broader cryptocurrency market due to increased risks, PAXG reached a new all-time high of $3,195 on exchanges, while the PAXG/BTC trading pair also hit a four-month peak.

First Digital USD (FDUSD), a USD-pegged stablecoin issued by First Digital Trust, encountered negative sentiment when Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, alleged that the issuer was effectively insolvent and unable to return funds to customers. Following Sun's initial post on X, the price of $FDUSD plummeted to $0.8726 USDT. However, it gradually recovered to 0.99 USDT after the issuer addressed the allegations. Both parties held press conferences, which helped restore market confidence, leading to $FDUSD trading around the 0.9950 USDT mark.

Overall Market

The above chart is the BTC price in the daily candle chart at the log scale.

Our analysis from the previous week suggested that Bitcoin's price is expected to fluctuate between $80,000 and $90,000. We also raised concerns regarding the impending reciprocal tariffs introduced by President Trump.

Last Friday, the core PCE price index exceeded expectations, leading to market concerns about the Federal Reserve's strategy for interest rate cuts in 2025. With persistent inflation in the US and the potential effects of tariffs on prices, the market has reduced the probability of a shift towards a more accommodative monetary policy from the Federal Reserve this year.

While tariffs may also affect consumer spending and indirectly decrease demand for goods and services, potentially leading to a reduction in inflation, the numerous variables involved make it difficult to ascertain the extent of their negative impact on inflation.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bitcoin ($BTC) experienced a remarkable surge, surpassing the $89,000 mark following President Trump's announcement that universal tariffs would be set at 10% instead of the previously proposed 20%. However, this upward momentum was short-lived as the market quickly reversed direction after additional information regarding reciprocal tariffs came to light. Following the press conference, BTC experienced a sharp decline, dropping below $83,000, which coincided with a more than 2% decrease in the S&P 500 index after market close.

Our analysis suggests that the market's initial reaction to the decline in risk assets was expected. We anticipate that this downward trend will continue for an extended period as other countries develop their responses to the tariffs imposed by the United States.

Historically, the United States has employed tariffs to shield domestic industries from foreign competition, a strategy prominently utilized during the early years of the Great Depression. A defining example is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which dramatically increased tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods. Signed into law by President Herbert Hoover, this legislation aimed to protect American farmers and manufacturers struggling amid the economic downturn that began with the stock market crash of 1929. However, the policy backfired spectacularly. Rather than bolstering the U.S. economy, it provoked swift retaliation from 25 trading partners, including Canada and several European nations, who imposed their own tariffs on American goods. This tit-for-tat escalation triggered a severe contraction in international trade, with global trade plummeting by approximately 66% between 1929 and 1934.

According to our analysis, we expect that other nations will initially respond to the newly imposed U.S. tariffs by implementing their own tariffs on American products. This is likely to initiate a negotiation phase between the United States and these countries. Through this process, the U.S. has the opportunity to redefine the global trade landscape and enhance its position within it.

If negotiations proceed favorably and the U.S. secures its objectives, we anticipate a shift in market sentiment towards a more risk-on attitude. However, this process may take several months and could potentially reverse. Currently, our outlook remains bearish for the near term, with a shift to a bullish stance anticipated only after the Federal Reserve intervenes and announces interest rate cuts to stimulate the economy.

Macro at a glance

Last Thursday (25-03-27)

In the fourth quarter of 2024, core PCE prices in the United States increased by 2.6%, which is slightly below the anticipated 2.7% but an increase from the 2.2% recorded in the third quarter. The Federal Reserve implemented a 50 basis point rate cut last September, followed by two rate cuts of 25 basis points each after.

The US GDP experienced a quarterly