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Bitcoin Slides as Donald Trump Escalates Iran War Rhetoric

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Crypto Breaking News
  • Bitcoin Drops Sharply as Geopolitical Tensions Trigger Market Selloff
  • Oil Surges Past $107 While Stocks and Gold Face Steep Declines
  • ETF Outflows and War Fears Weaken Crypto Market Confidence

Global markets turned lower as geopolitical tensions intensified following fresh U.S. military updates. Bitcoin fell sharply while oil prices climbed amid rising uncertainty. The developments triggered liquidations across crypto markets and pressured traditional assets simultaneously.

Bitcoin Extends Losses Amid Market Shock

Bitcoin traded near $66,380 after falling from $69,100 within twenty four hours. The asset dropped as oil prices rose amid rising uncertainty, and sentiment across markets shifted toward defensiveness.

The decline followed heightened geopolitical risks and sharp reactions across financial markets. Market volatility increased as traders responded quickly to macroeconomic uncertainty. The asset dropped as much as three percent during early Thursday trading sessions. Over $386 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated across exchanges.

This movement reflected a rapid shift toward defensive positioning among market participants. Institutional demand weakened after recent ETF inflows reversed into net outflows. Data showed a $296 million withdrawal last week, ending a sustained inflow trend. Modest inflows returned, although momentum remained fragile across the sector.

Ethereum and Altcoins Track Broader Weakness

Ethereum traded near $2,070 after declining more than four percent over the same period. The asset closely followed Bitcoin’s drop as market sentiment became risk averse. Selling pressure increased across major altcoins as volatility spread in the sector. Solana, apart from losing a lot in a short time, also dropped 5% in anticipation of the weekly losses. Altcoins were affected more heavily as price fluctuations became their natural response to changes in market sentiment.

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It shows that the weakness is spreading from Bitcoin to other digital assets. On-chain data revealed that people are turning to stablecoins and yield producing assets for their savings. Capital movement showed a desire to be safe and stable as the level of uncertainty remained high. Such actions mark lean times for the crypto market during this period.

Stocks, Gold Fall as Oil Prices Surge

The S&P 500 declined nearly two percent as equities reacted to geopolitical risks. Gold prices fell four percent, even though it’s usually seen as a safe haven. The drop came as oil rose from $98 to $107 per barrel. That rise fed inflation fears and cut demand for precious metals. Markets shifted focus amid growing geopolitical tension. Technology stocks also came under pressure, with major indexes falling across sessions. The decline matched wider worries about economic growth and stability.

The tensions were intensified by the unknown status of crucial shipping lanes in the Middle East. Increased energy prices added pressure to the global markets and altered the overall economic sentiment. Projections remain dependent on political factors, with the possible up and down of the stock market still tied to the Middle East conflict.

Insecurity regarding supply chains and energy production continues to affect investor mood. These factors may impact both crypto and traditional markets. Oil price prediction markets indicated that further increases in oil prices were anticipated. Traders predicted a significant likelihood of prices reaching higher levels in the near term. Such expectations highlight the persistent uncertainty about possible supply interruptions and the potential emergence of a prolonged unstable situation.

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The recovery of energy infrastructure could take months even if tensions ease. A longer delay in normalization may affect global economic growth and keep risk assets under pressure longer. Crypto markets could continue having big price swings if the geopolitical situation remains uncertain.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Crypto World

Big Tech Companies Form New x402 Foundation For Agentic AI

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Big Tech Companies Form New x402 Foundation For Agentic AI

Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services are among the Big Tech firms named as founding members of the newly launched x402 Foundation, established to govern and standardize the x402 protocol for agentic AI payments on crypto and fiat rails. 

The x402 Foundation was launched on Thursday by the open-source software development non-profit Linux Foundation with the help of Coinbase, the creators of the x402 protocol.

Other founding members of the x402 Foundation include American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Cloudflare, Shopify, Stripe, Circle, Base, Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation, Thirdweb and KakaoPay.

“The internet was built on open protocols,” Jim Zemlin, CEO of the Linux Foundation, said on Thursday, as he explained why the x402 protocol should adopt an open-source structure.

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Launching the x402 protocol under the Linux Foundation gives it a “neutral, nonprofit home,” said Coinbase. It could help attract more support from tech firms and developers than if it were launched under a company banner. 

The Linux Foundation is considered one of the largest and most influential open-source software nonprofits in the world. 

Source: Coinbase

The move comes amid a broad industry belief that AI agents could become the dominant users of blockchain payments in the coming years. 

“There will be more AI agents transacting online than humans very soon,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said, echoing comments from Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire in January that “literally billions of AI agents” will be transacting onchain in three to five years.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao also said in January that crypto is the “native currency for AI agents,” which will handle everything from buying tickets to paying bills without credit cards.

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Related: How AI agents can reshape arbitrage in prediction markets

For blockchain payments, the x402 protocol uses the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status and Ethereum Improvement Proposal 3009, a pre-signed authorization feature, to enable the AI agents to transfer funds automatically without manual approval.

x402 transaction activity exploded before crashing down

Transaction activity for the x402 protocol peaked in November last year but quieted down in 2026, Dune Analytics data shows.

A peak of 13.7 million transactions was observed between the week of Nov. 4-10, followed by another 13.66 million transactions the following week.

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However, transaction activity has fallen sharply since then, with weekly transactions falling between 29,000 and 1.1 million.

Weekly transactions via the x402 protocol since May 2025. Source: Dune Analytics

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