- The S&P 500 is now experiencing extreme volatility, with six straight days of swings over 6%, even outpacing Bitcoin.
- Despite positive inflation data, fears over a China tariff war have sent the index tumbling 14% from its February high.
The S&P 500, long considered the steady hand of the U.S. stock market, is now behaving like a meme coin on steroids. Once the hallmark of blue-chip stability, the flagship index is drawing comparisons to Bitcoin — and not for its performance, but its volatility.
In a twist that few on Wall Street saw coming, the S&P 500 has clocked six straight sessions with price swings exceeding 6%. That kind of turbulence is more at home in the world of Dogecoin than the Dow. According to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, the index is now officially more volatile than Bitcoin, which has traditionally held the crown for chaotic price movement.
Also read: Bitcoin Outperforms Ethereum by 85% in Realized Cap as Investor Profits Hit New Highs
Thursday’s trading action was a perfect storm: the index nosedived to an intraday low of 5,115, down a staggering 6.14%, before clawing back some losses. Even after a partial recovery, the S&P still closed the day roughly 3.5% in the red. The broader picture? It has now fallen in five of the past six trading days and is down about 14% from its February peak.
All this comes despite positive inflation data suggesting that consumer prices are cooling — typically a bullish signal. But market sentiment is being rattled by renewed fears over a tariff war with China, which has cast a long shadow over the week’s trading.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an attempt to calm nerves, dismissed the volatility, saying he didn’t see “anything unusual.” But investors aren’t buying the cool-headed response — especially with the market behaving more like a rollercoaster than a reliable benchmark.
Some analysts are warning that the line between traditional finance and crypto-style speculation is blurring fast. If the S&P 500 continues to trade like a meme coin, serious questions will arise about the long-term health of institutional market mechanics.
For now, buckle up. Wall Street seems to have entered a new era — one where even the most trusted index can act like a viral coin born on Reddit.
