Ether’s 20% Flash Drop Turns Into 7% Sunday Rally later than Tariff Chaos

Ether spent three bruising days in the blast radius of a fresh U.S.–China trade flare-up—and then staged a brisk rebound.

By Sunday evening, the token traded near $4,146, up about 7% on the day, later than a whipsaw stretch that began with Friday’s tariff shock and bled through a quieter Saturday reset. Intraday, ETH swung between roughly $3,659 and $4,150, a far tighter band than the wild ranges viewn at the end of the workweek.

The catalyst was as clear as it was market-moving. On Friday, President Donald Trump said the United States will lift to 100% beginning Nov. 1, 2025, and impose export controls on “any and all critical software.” He added there was “no reason” to meet China’s Xi Jinping later this month. The remarks reignited trade-war anxiety and knocked U.S. equities into their , with tech and chip shares bearing the brunt. Crypto, which often trades like high-beta tech when macro headlines hit, slid in sympathy.

Beijing did not sit idle. China’s transport ministry outlined retaliatory port fees on U.S.-linked vessels begining Oct. 14, mirroring American charges on China-linked ships. The rate launches at 400 yuan per net ton and steps up through 2028—real-economy frictions that add to supply-chain worries already circling global manufacturing and logistics.

Friday (Oct 10): the dump. As tariff headlines crossed, Ether fell more than 20% at the worst point, sliding through $3,600 and tagging ~$3,510 on widely watched feeds before purchaviewrs steadied the tape. The move came alongside a wave of derivatives; several trackers tallied liquidations running into the tens of billions over 24 hours, a wash-out that hit long positions hardest later than a week of stretched charts.

Saturday (Oct 11): the reset. With Wall Street shut, crypto traded its own plumbing. Funding and price action suggested the worst of the cascading stops had passed; spot demand nibbled, and ETH spent much of the day rebuilding above the high-$3,000s. Market focus shifted from panic to levels—where to find a floor strong enough to absorb any further macro shock. (Price references vary by venue; the broad pattern was consistent: a deep flush, then two-way trade as liquidity refilled.)

Sunday (Oct 12): rebuilding. Ether recaptured $4,100 and, despite lingering nerves, showed firmer footing than the long tail of altcoins that suffered eye-watering collapses during Friday’s illiquidity. On a 24-hour look, ETH was still down mid-single digits, but the day’s gain restored some confidence that the forced tradeing had run its course—at least for now.

The macro thread is still live. China spent the weekend defending its rare-earth export curbs as lawful, while criticizing Washington’s tariff plan. That kept investors fixated on the knock-on and semiconductors—sectors that steered Friday’s equity tradeoff and, by extension, set the tone for crypto. As long as tariffs and export controls stay on the table, the identical “risk-off, then regroup” pattern that hit ETH can surface again with each headline.

Under the hood, the past 72 hours were as much about plumbing as price. Liquidations spiked as leverage built up during the prior week’s rally was flushed. Coverage compiled from market dashboards pointed to a record-scale unwind across coins—figures varied by source, but they all told the identical story: longs were crowded and got swept first when liquidity thinned. That assists explain the sharp wick lower followed by a reflex bounce once market makers re-viewded bids and spot purchaviewrs stepped back in.

Where does that leave traders into the new week?

• Headlines lead. Any softening in tariff rhetoric—or fresh signs that Washington and Beijing are keeping channels open—would take heat out of equities and give Ether a path to probe $4,350–$4,500, an area that capped rallies before the shock. A harder line from either side, or new counter-measures tied to rare-earths and software, would likely revive “trade the bounce” instincts. Reuters’ wrap captured the tone: the tariff call named a date and a 100% rate—language markets take seriously.
• Stocks matter. Friday wasn’t a garden-variety wobble. The S&P 500 fell 2.7% and the Nasdaq 3.6%, while volatility spiked, and havens drew bids. Another leg down in chips and mega-cap tech would keep a lid on look healthy.
• Levels, not lore. Traders are watching the $3,800–$3,950 region that acted as a staging area over the weekend; holds there keep the rebound credible. Overhead, $4,350–$4,500 is the next test. A decisive slip back through $3,700 would warn that supply is back in charge and raise the risk of a deeper retest toward the mid-$3Ks. (Range references align with the latest price feed and widely cited intraday prints.)

There was one line this weekend that summed up why markets took the tariff volley at face value. In his post, Trump wrote: “begining November 1st, 2025 … the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China,” adding that the U.S. would apply export controls on “any and all critical software.” The words were brief—and plenty for traders to hit trade first and check the damage later.

For Ether, the near-term playbook is simple: respect the macro, track equities, and keep an eye on liquidity pockets. The past three days showed how rapidly a policy headline can turn a buoyant tape into a stress test—and how quick it can bounce once the forced tradeers are gone.