As of March 13, 2025, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $81,788.44, reflecting a 0.83% increase over the past 24 hours. Ethereum is priced around $1,893.13, up 1.5% in the same period. Crypto markets face major shifts as technical moves and political decisions drive new strategies.
On March 7, 2025, at 3:10 AM UTC, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile. On March 13, 2025, Bitcoin’s price stands at $81,788.44 USD, up $674.01 or 0.83% today. Despite today's minor recovery Bitcoin fell sharply earlier dropping 2.3% as investors reacted negatively to lower-than-expected inflation figures. Instead of boosting confidence these figures deepened concerns over a potential escalation of President Trump's ongoing US trade war. Adding fuel to market uncertainty, reports emerged suggesting Trump's family is exploring a stake in Binance while his cryptocurrency reserve plans drew strong criticism from Democrats. At the same time, BlackRock's tokenized asset fund BUIDL surged past $1 billion driven by a significant $200 million allocation from Ethena.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: Alternative.me
The Fear and Greed Index has increased to 27, still indicating a fearful market sentiment. Bitcoin has remained below the $100,000 mark, experiencing limited whale accumulation and low volatility.
What’s Trending in the Crypto Community?
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Trump’s Crypto Project WLFI: Discussed the possibility of collaborating with Binance to develop a stablecoin.
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Bitcoin Holdings: Six out of 22 members of Trump’s cabinet hold Bitcoin assets.
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Telegram’s Crypto Wallet: Introduced trading and yield features for its self-custody crypto wallet.
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WLFI’s SEI Purchase: WLFI purchased $100,000 worth of SEI tokens.
Trending Tokens of the Day
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+9.49% |
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+3.79% |
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+3.29% |
Bitcoin Drops to $81,788.44 as Inflation Report Stirs Trade War Concerns
BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
On March 13, 2025 Bitcoin's price slid 2.3% to settle around $81,788.44 after the release of softer-than-expected US inflation data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose by only 3.2% over the past 12 months to February, which typically signals a positive outlook for risk assets.
US PPI 1-month % change. Source: BLS
According to the BLS press release: “On an unadjusted basis the index for final demand advanced 3.2 percent for the 12 months ended in February. In February a 0.3-percent increase in prices for final demand goods offset a 0.2-percent decline in the index for final demand services.”
Yet this positive inflation data failed to boost crypto and stock markets. The Kobeissi Letter explained on X that traders fear President Trump will leverage lower inflation as justification to intensify his trade war against China and other trading partners. They warned investors should “buckle up for more volatility.”
Meanwhile the Fed appears unlikely to offer market relief soon. CME Group’s FedWatch Tool puts the odds of a rate cut in May at just 28%. Trader Josh Rager reinforced this view stating: “The Fed has already decided steady course no cuts this FOMC. Powell made that clear last week. Rate cuts more likely in May/June not March.”
Fed target rate probabilities. Source: CME Group
Trump Family in Talks with Binance Amid Pardon Controversy
Source: Donald Trump
Further complicating the crypto landscape the Wall Street Journal reported on March 13, 2025 that President Trump’s family representatives recently held discussions about acquiring a stake in Binance the world’s largest crypto exchange. This came after Binance founder Changpeng Zhao completed a four-month US prison sentence and reportedly sought a pardon from the Trump administration.
The WSJ stated uncertainty remains: “It is unclear what form the Trump family stake would take if the deal comes together or whether it would be contingent on a pardon.”
President Trump swiftly denied the reports, writing on Truth Social: “The Globalist Wall Street Journal has no idea what they are doing or saying. They are owned by the polluted thinking of the European Union which was formed for the primary purpose of ‘screwing’ the United States of America.”
In related news, Trump’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), recently explored a possible partnership with Binance to jointly develop a stablecoin. This move could align WLFI with Binance’s global crypto infrastructure, increasing both projects' market influence.
Read more: Trump Orders Creation of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund: Could Bitcoin Play a Role?
Democrats Pressure Treasury to Halt Trump's Bitcoin Reserve Plan
Meanwhile Trump's own cryptocurrency plans faced harsh criticism from senior Democrat Rep. Gerald Connolly. On March 13, 2025 Connolly demanded the US Treasury halt Trump's recent executive order creating a strategic cryptocurrency reserve using seized bitcoins and altcoins from criminal and civil asset forfeitures.
Connolly highlighted potential conflicts of interest referencing Trump's involvement in crypto projects like World Liberty Financial holding $76 million and memecoins TRUMP and MELANIA. He stated: “The creation of a strategic cryptocurrency reserve is poised to enrich the President and his closest allies at the expense of American taxpayers. I urge you to cease all plans to create a strategic cryptocurrency reserve.” The Treasury Department has been asked to respond by March 27, 2025.
BlackRock’s Tokenized Fund Hits $1 Billion After Ethena Adds $200 Million
BlackRock headquarters (Shutterstock)
Despite political controversies and market volatility tokenization continued growing. On March 13, 2025 BlackRock’s tokenized fund known as BUIDL surpassed $1 billion in total assets under management. Crypto protocol Ethena allocated $200 million to the fund significantly boosting its growth.
Ethena uses BUIDL tokens which represent tokenized US Treasury holdings, as collateral for its USDtb stablecoin. Currently USDtb is backed by $540 million comprising $320 million in BUIDL tokens and the remainder in USDC and USDT stablecoins.
Ethena’s founder Guy Melamed stated: “Ethena’s decision to scale USDtb’s investment in BUIDL reflects our deep conviction in the value of tokenized assets and the significant role they will continue to play in modern financial infrastructure.”
Read more: What Is a Bitcoin ATM and How to Use it?
Conclusion
Bitcoin’s decline to $81,788.44 on March 13, 2025 despite today's slight 0.83% recovery underscores growing anxiety about trade conflicts and political controversies. Trump’s cryptocurrency strategies including potential involvement in Binance and his crypto reserve faced increasing political backlash. Yet market turbulence has not slowed institutional enthusiasm for tokenized assets as illustrated by BlackRock’s BUIDL fund surpassing a key $1 billion milestone. Investors can expect continued volatility as political factors and innovative financial products shape market direction.
