Bitcoin's price is up. We hear it constantly. "Safe haven!" they shout. "Hedge against inflation!" they proclaim. While the digital gold rush continues, let's pull back the curtain and ask a harder question: who is actually benefiting, and at whose expense? Is Bitcoin’s “win” really a victory for us all? Or is it just the latest sign of a broken economic model, made worse by the US-China trade war?

Profiting From Others' Hardships?

A game of tariff chicken initiated years ago, the trade war is not an abstract economic concept. It's real. These actions result in artificially inflated prices at the grocery counter. It means lost jobs in rust belt manufacturing communities, forcing at risk small manufacturers to the edge of insolvency. Jerome Powell and the Fed are fighting tariff-caused inflation with high interest rates right now. Despite their best efforts, they’re failing.

While headlines celebrate Bitcoin's resilience, fueled by institutional investment from the likes of MicroStrategy and Metaplanet, consider this: are these companies really solving the problems created by the trade war, or are they simply capitalizing on the chaos? Or are they the vultures circling the carcass of a global economy being slowly strangled by tariffs?

Consider the entrepreneur in Ohio, laid off by their big box buyer due to increased cost from imports causing them to raise prices. Is their safe haven Bitcoin? After all, can they start seriously considering Bitcoin when they’re barely able to keep the lights on themselves. I doubt it.

And while economist Timothy Peterson might predict Bitcoin hitting $138,000 in 90 days, ask yourself: who really profits from that surge? The typical American is just one financial disaster away from going under. Rich investors have the resources to speculate on risky assets.

It feels unsettling, doesn't it? This gap between the new digital gold rush and the material pain.

Bitcoin's Rise, Inequality's Shadow

Let's be blunt: Bitcoin's narrative often conveniently ignores the inconvenient truth of widening economic inequality. The US's tariff strategy, this "shock and awe" approach, might be a clever geopolitical maneuver, but it's leaving casualties in its wake. Increasing US Treasury yields are a recipe for disorderly instability and warrant worry. Per usual, the Bitcoin faithful see it as another opportunity to load up.

That’s why the story of Bitcoin as a democratic, decentralized currency is so seductive. The truth is that most Bitcoin is in a few hands, as a small number of wallets hold a majority of Bitcoin. Is this really a revolution, or merely a redistribution of wealth from the many to the few? Are we creating a future where only those who are digitally literate and financially affluent will be able to flourish?

Moreover, the jubilation surrounding Bitcoin routinely buries the plight of other, smaller cryptocurrencies. And although it’s true that Bitcoin seems to be the one on the rise, others, such as Mantra, are undergoing deflationary pressures. This highlights a crucial point: the crypto landscape is complex and fraught with risk. Jumping on the Bitcoin bandwagon without considering the broader implications is extremely reckless.

A Mirage Of Safety?

Okay, Dr. Isabella Moreno, the world’s leading expert, and researchers at Coinbase and Coingecko discuss rebuilding the market and diversification. The regulatory environment in the US is getting more favorable, albeit slowly. States such as Wyoming are taking action to help make the adoption process more streamlined and efficient.

Bitcoin has increasingly been viewed as a store of value, a digital gold that’s recently been hitting new all-time highs. We have to be real that it is not a magic bullet. It does very little to address the underlying issues of trade wars, economic inequality, and global instability. It might even be exacerbating them.

We should be preparing to take a lot of hard looks in the mirror. Or are we just on the hamster wheel of profit and not paying attention to what it’s doing to people? Are we creating a system that serves the privileged few while penalizing the rest of us? So is Bitcoin really winning, or is this just another expression of an economy that’s rigged to begin with?

So, before you go rejoicing the clamor over Bitcoin’s epic ascent, spend a moment giving thanks to these far more obscure casualties of the ongoing trade war. Think about the small business owner, the temporarily laid-off worker, and the Americans currently living paycheck-to-paycheck. Their stories—it’s hard to hear, but their stories need to be told—their struggles need to be addressed. Only then can we get a real sense of whether Bitcoin’s “win” is really a win for all. Or is it a mere mirage of safety in a world that’s increasingly becoming one of inequality, instability and anxiety?

Before you celebrate Bitcoin's rise, take a moment to consider the hidden victims of the trade war. Consider the small business owner, the laid-off worker, the family struggling to make ends meet. Their stories deserve to be told, and their struggles deserve to be addressed. Perhaps then, and only then, can we truly assess whether Bitcoin's "win" is a victory for all, or just a mirage of safety in a world increasingly defined by inequality and uncertainty.