Bitcoin Plummets to $60,000 Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Cryptocurrency Market Volatility
Bitcoin’s Sharp Decline
Bitcoin experienced a notable drop to $60,000 as geopolitical tensions escalated in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel. The cryptocurrency saw a nearly 5% decrease, with its trading price settling at $60,834 on Tuesday evening.
Ether’s Steeper Decline
On the other hand, Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, plummeted over 6% to around $2,450. Just days before, Ether had been outperforming Bitcoin.
Impact on Other Cryptocurrencies
The negative sentiment that spread through broader financial markets post Iran’s attack affected other major cryptocurrencies as well. Solana, Cardano, and Dogecoin witnessed significant declines of over 8%, 7.5%, and 10%, respectively, within the last 24 hours. Consequently, the global cryptocurrency market cap dipped by 4.7% to $2.14 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Geopolitical Events and Market Volatility
Geopolitical uncertainties have rattled investors, leading to a risk-off approach across different asset classes, including the volatile crypto space. The recent market turbulence emphasizes the influence of geopolitical events on investor confidence.
Performance of Crypto ETFs
Bitcoin ETFs vs. Ether ETFs
Spot Bitcoin ETFs witnessed inflows in the past week, while spot Ether ETFs experienced a mixture of inflows and outflows, as per ETF tracker Farside. Investors will closely monitor these trends in light of the Fed’s interest rate adjustments and the escalating tensions in the Middle East.