- Cryptocurrency prices remained steady on Friday as global markets reacted to rising trade tensions between the United States and China.
- Amid this turbulence, an upcoming project has continued to gain momentum.
- CartelFi, the new cartel-themed yield farming protocol, has already raised more than $600,000 just days after its presale launched.
Bitcoin, XRP and other major cryptocurrencies showed mixed moves on Friday as investors weighed the impact of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump and a subsequent 90-day pause on most levies.
Bitcoin traded around $81,000. Ethereum fell 2.6% to $1,558, while Solana and Dogecoin recorded modest losses. XRP gained about 0.5% to trade near $2.
Earlier in the week digital assets rallied after Trump’s tariff pause was announced, but some of those gains have been pared back amid renewed concern over U.S.–China trade frictions.
Still, in the current market backdrop an upcoming project has been gathering attention and capital.
CartelFi, a new yield-farming protocol with a cartel-inspired theme, raised over $600,000 within days of beginning its presale.
Cryptocurrency markets search for direction
Cryptocurrency prices held relatively steady on Friday as global markets digested escalating trade tensions between the United States and China.
Although the U.S. president announced a temporary pause on certain tariffs, the announcement included a 145% levy applied specifically to some Chinese imports.
In response, China increased tariffs on select U.S. goods from 84% to 125%, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Finance.
The ministry criticized the tariff escalation, saying: “Even if the United States continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of the global economy.”
Heightened trade friction pushed investors toward traditional safe-haven assets.
The Swiss franc reached a ten-year high against the U.S. dollar, and gold climbed to a fresh peak as investors sought stability amid uncertainty.
CartelFi: the project drawing market attention
CartelFi positions itself at the intersection of meme culture and decentralized finance, aiming to bridge the speculative nature of meme tokens with the yield-focused stability of established DeFi protocols.
By offering specialized liquidity pools tailored to meme tokens, CartelFi enables investors to earn yield on assets that would otherwise remain idle.
This design lets users retain exposure to the upside potential of meme coins while earning yields typically reserved for more traditional DeFi assets.
The protocol features an automated token buyback-and-burn mechanism that can use up to 100% of fees collected to create deflationary pressure and support the token’s long-term value.
Marketing itself with the tagline of delivering “quality Colombian APYs,” CartelFi aims to convert dormant meme token capital into productive financial assets.
Historically, yield farming for meme tokens has been discussed but rarely implemented effectively.
CartelFi presents itself as one of the first platforms to offer a practical solution for that niche.
CartelFi presale gains momentum
CartelFi raised $500,000 within 24 hours of launching its presale of CARTFI tokens.
The presale is structured in 30 stages, with each stage increasing the token price by 5% to incentivize early participation.
The token is currently priced at approximately $0.029 and is due to rise soon to $0.0305.
To date, the project has raised nearly $700,000 from early investors.
According to the team, buyers who entered during the first presale stage could see returns exceeding 300% by the time the token lists on exchanges.
In the current market environment, projects like CartelFi may attract increased interest from investors seeking higher-yielding opportunities beyond established cryptocurrencies.
Visit the CartelFi website to purchase CARTFI tokens and learn more about the project.