Crisis Investing: Can Bitcoin Compete with Gold as a safe haven?

China’s gold market showed mixed signals in July 2025, with the People’s Bank of China continuing its buying streak by adding 2 tons, marking nine consecutive months of purchases and bringing total reserves to 2,300 tons. However, retail demand remained subdued – Shanghai Gold Exchange withdrawals of 93 tons were well below the 10-year average, while Chinese gold ETFs saw outflows of 2.4 billion yuan ($325 million) as investors shifted to equities amid stronger economic data. Gold imports for the first half of 2025 plunged 62% year-over-year to just 323 tons, reflecting weak jewelry demand at record-high prices despite continued

CME Group’s micro metals futures showed mixed performance in July amid tariff uncertainty and Fed policy concerns. Gold prices briefly surged above $3,450/oz after President Trump threatened to fire Fed Chair Powell, but ended July flat at just under $3,300/oz following a hawkish Fed meeting. Silver gained 1.5% to close at $36.710/oz, benefiting from initial tariff fears before bullion was exempted. Copper experienced extreme volatility, jumping 13% on July 8 after Trump announced potential 50% import tariffs, only to crash 14.3% by month-end to $4.3545/lb when copper cathodes were excluded. Trading volumes surged, with Micro Copper futures ADV up 89%

Stock markets initially rallied to record highs on Tuesday after July’s consumer inflation data came in slightly better than expected at 2.7% annually, matching June’s level. However, the celebration was short-lived as Thursday’s Producer Price Index shocked investors with a 0.9% monthly surge – the biggest jump since June 2022 and far above the 0.2% forecast. The dramatic wholesale inflation spike caused stocks to reverse course, with major indexes falling as traders scaled back expectations for multiple Fed rate cuts. The PPI surge suggests tariff-related costs are finally hitting the production pipeline, potentially foreshadowing higher consumer prices ahead and complicating