Bitcoin price action failed to revisit the $83,000 mark after US-Iran war tensions took over to steer the crypto market mood. Bitcoin (BTC) cooled from new 13-week highs at Wednesday’s Wall Street open amid mixed signals over a US-Iran peace deal. Key points: Data from TradingView showed a new local peak for BTC/USD of $82,833 on Bitstamp. Read more
Bitcoin faced new volatility and a new struggle to reclaim $80,000 as Iran events added pressure to crypto and risk assets. Bitcoin (BTC) saw volatility at Monday’s Wall Street open as fresh US-Iran war events sparked instability. Key points: Read more
Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto exchange, was founded by brothers linked to the powerful Kharrazi family, which has ties to the country’s supreme leaders. Nobitex, Iran’s biggest crypto exchange, was founded by two brothers from one of the Islamic Republic’s most influential families with ties to the supreme leaders, according to a Reuters investigation. The exchange, which now accounts for the majority share of Iran’s crypto activity, was launched by Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi. The duo operated under the alternative surname “Aghamir,” which they used across corporate records and professional life, masking links to the Kharrazi dynasty, according to the report. The Kharrazi family has long occupied positions close to the country’s leadership, with ties spanning generations of power, including links to Ali Khamenei and his successor Mojtaba Khamenei. Read more
The announced crypto freeze came just one day after Tether said it had frozen $344 million of its USDt stablecoin in response to a request from US law enforcement. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned several wallets tied to Iran, resulting in authorities freezing $344 million in cryptocurrency. In a Friday X post, Bessent said that the move by OFAC was part of the US’ efforts to “systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds.” The US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran in late February. “We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” said Bessent. Read more
The Iranian government chose Bitcoin as a payment method for oil tolls due to its confiscation-resistant properties, but only dollar stablecoins have been used so far. Iran’s government naming Bitcoin (BTC) as a payment method for oil ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz highlights its role as a neutral, strategic asset, according to Sam Lyman, head of research at digital asset advocacy organization Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI). The government selected BTC as one of the payment methods for the tolls because of its censorship-resistant qualities, Lyman told Cointelegraph. He said: Iran is accepting oil tolls in Chinese yuan, US dollar-pegged stablecoins and BTC. However, there is “no onchain evidence” of a BTC toll payment so far, Lyman said, adding that the “majority” of Iran’s crypto transactions are denominated in US dollar stablecoins. Read more
A letter from US Senator Richard Blumenthal said he was concerned about “mounting allegations of dangerously lax anti-money laundering prevention by Binance.” Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal questioned US authorities responsible for overseeing Binance about whether the company is complying with anti-money laundering laws and sanctions under its 2023 court-imposed monitoring program. According to a report published by Fortune on Friday, Blumenthal sent letters to the Justice Department and the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), asking for details on Binance’s compliance. Binance and its former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao reached a deal in 2023, in which the exchange would pay $4.3 billion to settle civil regulatory enforcement actions, and CZ would plead guilty to one felony charge. Read more
Bitcoin surged above $77,000 as oil futures fell 10% after Iran’s foreign minister declared the Strait of Hormuz open for the remainder of the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran. Update (4.17.26 6:43 PM UTC): This article has been updated to reflect updated BTC prices and rally data. Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessel traffic for the remainder of the current ceasefire, prompting quick market reactions. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in a Friday X post. Read more
Bitcoin paused its rally toward new range highs while the S&P 500 came within an inch of a fresh year-to-date high, leading analysts to warn that traders are overconfident. Bitcoin (BTC) circled $74,000 at Wednesday’s Wall Street open as US stocks edged higher on news that the US and Iran may be open to another round of ceasefire negotiations. Key points: Bitcoin consolidates as analysts warn that stocks may be too optimistic over geopolitical relief. Read more
A broad hope for a US deal with Iran to end weeks of conflict has spurred investor confidence in riskier assets. Bitcoin has surged to its highest price in nearly a month, triggering hundreds of millions worth of liquidations as hopes of a deal between the Trump administration and Iran washed the crypto market with positive sentiment. The crypto market surged to a total value of $2.6 trillion, its highest level for a month, liquidating 177,000 traders of $530 million over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGlass. The majority of liquidations occurred in the past 12 hours, and 80% of them, or $425 million, were leveraged short positions in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). Read more
Bitcoin preserved $70,000 at the weekly close as markets began reacting to a breakdown in US-Iran negotiations and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Bitcoin (BTC) held $70,000 at the weekly close as markets reacted to a breakdown in US-Iran negotiations and escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. A breakdown in US-Iran negotiations sends oil surging above $100 per barrel, with the Strait of Hormuz now blockaded. US PPI inflation data is due amid signs that the oil crisis is far from the only driver of price increases. Read more