Announcements Gate Research: The New Crypto Order Under a Tariff Storm — Structural Shifts and Opportunities in Stablecoins, RWA, and DeFi

Gate Research: The New Crypto Order Under a Tariff Storm — Structural Shifts and Opportunities in Stablecoins, RWA, and DeFi

2025-04-15 10:43:41 UTC 32754 Read

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Gate Research has recently released its latest report titled *"<a href="https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/gate-research-the-new-cry-pto-or-der-under-a-tar-iff-stor-m-structural-shifts-and-opportunities-in-stablecoins-rwa-and-de-fi/8463?pid=Web&ch=EqW0tbBf&utm_campaign=TR_KYt0vgoC&utm_content=&utm_medium=CPM&utm_source=CH_79kTf7RP&utm_term=" target="_blank">The New Crypto Order Under a Tariff Storm — Structural Shifts and Opportunities in Stablecoins, RWA, and DeFi</a>"*, which centers on the global financial upheaval sparked by the "reciprocal tariffs" policy introduced in April 2025. The report systematically analyzes how stablecoins, Real-World Assets (RWA), and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) have adapted to this macroeconomic pressure wave. Grounded in on-chain data and market feedback, it comprehensively examines trends in crypto capital flows, sectoral resilience, and innovative strategies in response to policy shocks. Additionally, it offers forward-looking insights into the growth potential of these structural asset categories.

**Key Highlights**
- **Global Market Turbulence and Broad Crypto Decline:** Following the release of the “Reciprocal Tariff” policy in April 2025, global financial markets experienced intense volatility. On April 7, the cryptocurrency market suffered a significant downturn, with Bitcoin briefly dropping to around $74,600, and the total crypto market capitalization shrinking by 7% in a single day.
- **Strong Reaction from Traditional Markets:** After the tariff policy was enacted, U.S. stock markets lost $5.9 trillion in market capitalization over two trading days. The Volatility Index (VIX) surged 50.9% in a single day, and gold prices hit a historical high of $3,167.70 per ounce.
- **On-Chain Stablecoin Activity Surges:** Between January 20 and April 9, 2025, the total market capitalization of stablecoins grew by 11.13%, reaching $233.5 billion. On April 7, on-chain stablecoin transaction volume reached a two-month high of $72 billion, and daily active addresses exceeded 300,000—reflecting strong demand.
- **RWA Shows Resilience and Rapid Growth:** Within a week of the tariff rollout, the RWA sector dropped only 3.1%, much lower than other crypto sectors (which saw declines exceeding 10%), indicating its robustness. The total RWA market cap surpassed $32 billion, and trading volume surged 99% within five days of the tariff’s implementation.
- **Tokenized Gold Trading Volume Soars:** In the seven days leading up to April 11, weekly trading volume of tokenized gold exceeded $1 billion—the highest since March 2023. Since the tariff announcement, PAXG trading volume has soared over 900%, XAUT is up more than 300%, and KAU has skyrocketed by 83,000.
- **DeFi TVL Declines and Liquidation Risk Intensifies:** Impacted by the broader market downturn, the DeFi sector’s total value locked (TVL) dropped 35.34% from January 20 to April 9, 2025, falling to $135.2 billion. In the week following the tariff implementation, TVL fell 13.88%. On-chain liquidation risks have significantly increased, with AAVE V3 recording $94.39 million in collateral token liquidations on April 6 and 7.
- **Crypto Market Opportunities Amid Tariff Storm:** Stablecoins and RWA show strong potential for hedging and cross-border settlement. DeFi is exploring algorithm-driven tariff arbitrage models using dynamic collateralization ratios, geographic arbitrage, and regulatory hedging to navigate new financial strategies under trade barriers.

<center>** <a href="https://gimg.gateimg.com/learn/Gate%20Research%EF%BC%9AAnalysis%20of%20the%20Tariff%20Policy%20and%20Its%20Impact%20on%20the%20Bitcoin%20Mining%20Industry.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here to download the PDF</a> **</center>

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<sp>
Gate.io Team
April 15, 2025
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Gate Research: The New Crypto Order Under a Tariff Storm — Structural Shifts and Opportunities in Stablecoins, RWA, and DeFi

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