Gold's rally to a record $4,300 per troy ounce in October 2025 has paused, entering a consolidation phase amid geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic instability. Conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine, alongside U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump, have fueled the surge. Economist Daniel Arráez suggests this pause may open the door for Bitcoin to be tested as a store of value and anti-censorship tool. Arráez predicts Bitcoin could experience a parabolic rally by the end of 2025, driven by macroeconomic factors rather than institutional adoption.