Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’

Bitcoin adds gains as US stock markets drop a record $3.5 trillion in value and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warns of “higher inflation and slower growth.”

As stock markets crumbled for a second day on April 4, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” could significantly affect the economy, potentially leading to "higher inflation and slower growth."

Addressing the public at a conference on April 4, Powell maintained a cautious approach and noted that tariffs could spike inflation “in the coming quarters,” complicating the Fed’s 2% inflation target, just months after rate cuts indicated a soft landing. Powell said,

Moments before Powell’s speech, US President Donald Trump called out the Fed chair to “CUT INTEREST RATES” in a post on the Truth Social, taking a jab at Powell for being “always late.”

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