The brief surge of bitcoin towards $80,000 lost steam on Monday, with the cryptocurrency's price slipping to $76,600 during the US trading session, as geopolitical concerns resurfaced. Following an overnight peak near $80,000, its highest level since early February, bitcoin reversed direction and declined by about 1.5% over the past 24 hours. Major alternative cryptocurrencies, including ether, XRP, and solana, also fell, each dropping around 3%, while the CoinDesk 20 Index, a benchmark for the broader digital assets market, decreased by approximately 2% on Monday. The retreat comes as investors become increasingly cautious about the prospects for US-Iran negotiations and the ongoing disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil transit route.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Iran has proposed a cessation of attacks on ships in the strait in exchange for a comprehensive end to the war, including the lifting of the US naval blockade and a delay in nuclear talks. The proposal aims to revive stalled negotiations, but uncertainty remains high after President Trump canceled the planned dispatch of envoys to Pakistan for negotiations with the Iranian side over the weekend. Oil prices continued their ascent, with Brent crude oil prices rising over 3% to $107 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude oil increasing by 2.6% to $97. The Nasdaq declined by 0.3% in morning trading, retreating from recent record highs, while the S&P 500 remained flat, ahead of a significant earnings week that includes major firms such as Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple.
Meanwhile, stocks linked to the crypto sector declined across the board, with shares of crypto exchange Coinbase falling 1.5%, Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, dropping 3.5%, and Galaxy Digital, a digital asset investment firm, sliding nearly 6%. Underlying bitcoin's price action is a market struggling to gain momentum despite robust institutional demand. Bitfinex analysts observed that short-term bitcoin holders in profit have been selling into strength, offsetting fresh demand from ETF buyers and Strategy. The analysts noted that the path of least resistance in the near term is likely consolidation or a pullback towards the $75,000 region, adding that a decisive break above $80,000 is required to confirm a more durable bullish regime.