The European Union's persistent inability to finalize its major transatlantic free-trade agreement is sending ripples through the bloc's international standing. EU leadership had pinned hopes on this deal as a symbol of European leverage on the world stage—proof that it could operate as a genuine global economic power. The failure stings harder because the stakes were never just about bilateral commerce. When major economic blocs struggle to align on trade frameworks, it signals fragmentation in global capital flows and investor confidence. Crypto markets historically react to these macro shifts: trade tensions, sanctions regimes, and capital controls reshape how digital assets flow across borders. This isn't just about tariffs and GDP; it's about whether centralized powers can maintain cohesion when economic interests collide.