Bitcoin traded near $67,000 on Thursday after dipping to about $65,900 as traders reacted to President Donald Trump’s claim that US tariffs cut the trade deficit by 78%. The move came as Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon confirmed he holds a small amount of Bitcoin at the World Liberty Forum in Florida.
Markets weighed tariff risks, rate expectations, and shifting regulatory signals around the CLARITY Act. Trump said in a Truth Social post that tariffs reduced the US trade deficit by 78% and could push it into positive territory later this year. He framed the shift as the first positive balance in decades.
The claim returned attention to trade policy and its impact on inflation and interest rates. Tariffs can lift import prices and complicate the path for rate cuts. When investors price rates higher for longer, the dollar often strengthens and risk assets weaken.
As a result, Bitcoin has traded like a macro proxy during the past two weeks. It reacted to liquidity conditions and rate expectations rather than crypto-specific developments.
Recent data kept trade in focus. In early January, the US trade deficit narrowed sharply to about $29.4 billion, the lowest level since 2009.
Analysts attributed the change to lower imports, stronger exports, and the effects of tariff threats. The shifts tightened the monthly gap and altered short-term expectations.
However, economists noted that non-monetary gold flows drove part of the swing, and such flows can distort month-to-month comparisons, masking the broader trend.
If tariff rhetoric strengthens the dollar and tightens financial conditions, rallies in Bitcoin may struggle. If the debate fades, traders may refocus on flows, leverage, and key technical levels.
Against this backdrop, traders are questioning whether macro forces will continue to dictate Bitcoin’s direction.
At the World Liberty Forum in Mar-a-Lago, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon confirmed for the first time that he owns Bitcoin. He described his position as “very little, but some.”
Solomon said he views himself as an observer rather than a conviction investor. His comments marked a shift from July 2024, when he called Bitcoin speculative with no clear use case.
As recently as January 2025, Solomon said Goldman Sachs could not own or act as principal in crypto assets. On Wednesday, he said his stance had begun to change very recently.
He explained that Alex Witkoff invited him to attend the forum. Solomon described the Witkoff family as major clients of the firm.
The forum was organized by World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance and stablecoin company co-founded by Trump and his sons. The project launched in October 2024, and its USD1 stablecoin debuted in March 2025.
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During the event, Solomon aligned with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the Senate’s crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act. Bessent had criticized executives who rejected the bill and suggested they move to El Salvador.
Solomon echoed that position. He said a rules-based system remains essential for the industry. He added that the regulation will not be perfect but must be codified.
Congress has stalled progress on crypto legislation. Lawmakers continue to dispute stablecoin yield treatment and possible conflicts tied to Trump’s crypto interests.
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs reduced its holdings of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds by about 40% last quarter. At the same time, the bank continues to explore tokenization and stablecoin technology.
Solomon said in January that Goldman closely tracks developments in the US market structure. The Mar-a-Lago event also drew Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, whom Trump pardoned last fall, and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who planned to speak despite withdrawing support for the Senate bill.
Bitcoin swung near $67,000 as traders weighed Trump tariffs, trade deficit claims, and the impact on interest rates and the dollar. At the same time, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon confirmed a small Bitcoin holding at the World Liberty Forum and backed the CLARITY Act, which would provide clearer rules. Investors are tracking macro signals and policy headlines closely before making any financial moves.