Crypto markets and broader risk assets continue to move in lockstep with macro developments, as geopolitical headlines drive short-term sentiment.
Bitcoin fell below $69,000 on Thursday amid a widening risk-off move, giving back earlier gains fueled by optimism over potential de-escalation between Iran and the U.S. The cryptocurrency dropped more than 3% from an overnight peak above $71,000.
Major altcoins mirrored the decline, with ether, XRP, Solana and Cardano each losing between 4% and 5% during the same الفترة.
Oil remains a central macro driver. Crude futures rose करीब 4%, reversing earlier weakness and reigniting concerns about inflation and supply disruptions tied to the Iran conflict.
Equity markets also weakened, with U.S. stocks hitting session lows by midday. The Nasdaq fell around 1.4%, while bond yields surged higher. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield climbed 7 basis points to 4.40%, and Germany’s 10-year Bund yield rose 10.5 basis points to 3.06%.
Mega-cap tech stocks remain under pressure, with all members of the “Magnificent Seven” now down double digits from their all-time highs. NVIDIA is off 18%, Meta 30%, Amazon 20%, Alphabet 19%, Microsoft 34%, Tesla 25% and Apple 14%.
“The near-term direction will remain closely tied to macro developments,” said Joel Kruger, market strategist at LMAX Group. He added that a clearer path toward geopolitical easing could support a rebound in risk assets such as bitcoin, while continued uncertainty may keep markets volatile and range-bound.
Crypto-linked equities also moved lower, with Coinbase, Circle and MicroStrategy falling between 3% and 4%.
The steepest declines were seen among bitcoin miners, many of which are increasingly aligned with broader tech and AI infrastructure themes. Hut 8 dropped 8.6%, while IREN and Riot Platforms fell more than 7%. TeraWulf and HIVE Digital also recorded sharp losses.
WhiteFiber shares plunged 14% after reporting weaker earnings, including a fourth-quarter net loss of $1.5 million and a full-year loss of $24.7 million. Its parent company, Bit Digital, declined around 8%.
A few names bucked the broader trend. MARA Holdings rose 8.7% after announcing it had sold $1.1 billion worth of bitcoin to pay down debt.
