Crypto Market Pauses as BTC Eyes $95K, SUI and ADA Lead Gains

The crypto market rally took a breather Wednesday following cautious remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who warned that a comprehensive trade agreement between the U.S. and China could take years to finalize. Despite this, Bitcoin (BTC) climbed 2.6% in the past 24 hours and 12.2% over the week, trading at $93,600—its highest since early March.

Altcoins outperformed BTC, with the CoinDesk 20 Index rising 4.2%. Sui (SUI) surged 24%, while Cardano (ADA) and Chainlink (LINK) gained 7% each. However, crypto stocks lost steam. Bitdeer (BTDR) and Core Scientific (CORZ) closed the day with 4% gains after earlier double-digit rallies, while Coinbase (COIN) and MicroStrategy (MSTR) rose modestly.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments hinted at easing trade tensions, saying tariffs on China would “come down substantially.” But Bessent clarified no official offer was made, and any deal could take up to three years. Analysts believe the upcoming Xi-Trump summit will be key to unlocking positive sentiment for risk assets.

Meanwhile, BTC ETF inflows suggest renewed institutional interest, with $1.3 billion entering U.S.-listed spot ETFs this week, marking the highest daily inflows since mid-January. Experts say this rally is driven by institutional positioning amid growing uncertainty in traditional markets, not retail speculation.

Though BTC shows momentum, resistance around $95,000 may prompt a short-term pullback. Gold, which had surged 35% in four months, dropped 2.5% to $3,290, signaling a potential shift in investor focus. Analysts suggest Bitcoin could soon follow gold’s rally trajectory, reinforcing its role as “digital gold” and a hedge against macroeconomic risks.