Leading cryptocurrencies weakened, while stocks rallied sharply on Wednesday, as the Trump administration reportedly moves closer to a military conflict with Iran.

Cryptocurrency 24-Hour Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 8:25 p.m. ET)
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) -0.93% $66,540.09
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)
               
-0.85% $1.959.54
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                          -3.40% $1.41
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                          -3.23% $81.68
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)              -2.33% $0.09837

Crypto Market Lags

Bitcoin wobbled between the high $65,000s and the low $68,000s, while trading volume dipped over the last 24 hours.

Ethereum also traded with low volatility, confined to a narrow range just under $2,000. XRP and Dogecoin recorded sharp 24-hour drops.

Shares of cryptocurrency-related companies, including Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR)  and BitMine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BMNR), closed down 3.89% and 3,86%, respectively.

Over $220 million was liquidated from the market in the last 24 hours, according to Coinglass, with long liquidations again bearing the brunt of the losses. 

Bitcoin’s open interest rose 1.31% over the past 24 hours. A rising open interest paired with falling prices often signals short buildup, reflecting strong bearish sentiment.

The “Extreme Fear” sentiment gripped the market, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

Cryptocurrency (Market Cap>$100 M) Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 8:25 p.m. ET)
AWE (AWE)     +22.39%     $0.1041
Helium (HNT)                  +18.19%     $1.67
World Liberty Financial (WLFI)            +11.82%     $0.1187

The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.32 trillion, following a decline of 1.91% over the past 24 hours.

Stocks Rise, Precious Metals Stagnate

Stocks rallied sharply on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lifted 129.47 points, or 0.26%, to end at 49,662.66.. The S&P 500 rose 0.56% to end at 6,881.31, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.78% to close at 22,753.63.

Defense-related stocks surged after a report stated that the Trump administration is moving closer to a “major” military operation against Iran.

SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:XAR)  and Global X Defense Tech ETF (NYSE:SHLD), closed up 1.76% and 2.56%, respectively.

Precious metals stayed range-bound, as spot gold traded down 0.33% at $4,961 an ounce, while spot silver 0.74% to $76.61 an ounce.

Is Bottom In For Bitcoin?

Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez compared Bitcoin’s current market with the 2022 drawdown, forecasting further declines to at least $51,000, while questioning those who are declaring “bottom is in.”

Michaël van de Poppe, another prominent cryptocurrency commentator, anticipated a “big move on the horizon” for Bitcoin, following a period of low volatility.

“If we dip, I’ll be a big buyer, for sure,” the analyst said. “If we go back upwards, I’ll start taking some profits on a test at $80,000-$85,000 to be trading the trend.”

Photo: jira pliankharom / Shutterstock