According to a recent VanEck report, China and Russia are using Bitcoin to settle some energy trades. The development follows escalating global trade tensions after the Trump administration issued a tariff package targeting imports from China and other countries on April 2. The announcement has drawn fears of greater monetary and geopolitical fragmentation. Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research for VanEck, said interest in Bitcoin as a settlement mechanism is becoming less speculative. Bolivia has also joined China and Russia in announcing plans to import electricity through crypto-based payments. French ... (full story)