Overview
- Bitcoin traded in the high $68,000s after briefly topping $71,000 on reports of a five‑day pause in planned U.S. strikes on Iranian energy sites, a headline Iran-related sources disputed, leaving the rebound short‑lived.
- President Trump’s 48‑hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is set to expire Monday evening, with Brent crude near $113 as Goldman Sachs raised oil forecasts and labeled the disruption the largest-ever supply shock.
- Gold fell for a ninth straight session and is roughly 18% below recent highs, Asian equities extended losses, and Bitcoin is down about 6% on the week yet continues to outperform most traditional assets.
- Fear gauges swung to ‘extreme’ with the crypto Fear & Greed Index near 10, options markets showed a defensive tilt with Deribit puts priced 8–10 vol points over calls through June, and rapid liquidations topped $240 million led by longs.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $95 million of net inflows between March 16–20, signaling a continuing institutional bid even as separate summaries cited broader crypto ETF outflows last week.