Quick Summary
- BTC declined to approximately $68,652, losing 0.7% during Monday’s session as Middle East conflict concerns triggered risk-asset selling.
- President Trump issued Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening military action on energy facilities.
- BTC remains down more than 20% year-to-date despite posting roughly 6% gains over the past 30 days.
- Critical support level identified at $67,250, with potential further decline toward $65,000 or $63,500 upon breakdown.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $95.18 million in net capital between March 16–20, extending the inflow streak to four weeks.
Bitcoin slumped to $68,652 during Monday trading, registering a 0.7% decline as heightened anxiety surrounding the U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran prompted market participants to exit higher-risk positions. The downturn continued weekend losses and pushed BTC considerably lower from its monthly peak above $72,000.
The market retreat was widespread. Equities, precious metals, and foreign exchange markets all experienced declines alongside cryptocurrency assets as traders responded to intensifying Middle East geopolitical pressures.
President Donald Trump delivered a 48-hour deadline to Iran over the weekend, demanding the nation reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face American military strikes targeting vital energy infrastructure. Tehran countered by threatening complete closure of the strategic waterway and retaliatory attacks on essential energy and water facilities throughout Gulf states.
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The confrontation has now stretched into its fourth straight week with no indication of de-escalation.
Technical Analysis of Bitcoin’s Position
Bitcoin breached the $71,200 and $70,000 levels earlier in the session, reaching a low of $67,343 before staging a modest rebound. The digital asset currently trades beneath its 100-hour simple moving average, while a bearish trendline has established resistance near $69,200.
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For upward movement, BTC must overcome $69,200 and maintain stability above $70,000 to reverse short-term bearish momentum. Successfully achieving this would open pathways toward $71,650 and subsequently $72,800.
Should the cryptocurrency fail to break higher, the initial support zone to monitor sits at $67,250. Beneath that threshold, $66,500 followed by $65,000 emerge as subsequent targets. The $63,500 area represents a critical support floor.
Comparing Bitcoin and Gold Performance
Despite the recent pullback, Bitcoin has demonstrated superior performance compared to gold throughout the past month. BTC has gained approximately 6% during this timeframe, whereas gold has retreated roughly 18% from its late-January all-time high, pressured by substantial profit-taking activity.
Gold has also struggled to capture safe-haven flows during the Iran crisis, partially because market participants worry the conflict could fuel worldwide inflation and force interest rates higher.
Looking at 2025 performance overall, Bitcoin remains down more than 20%, while gold trades near breakeven levels.
Alternative cryptocurrencies similarly posted losses Monday. Ether declined 2.2% to $2,061.77, XRP retreated 1.9% to $1.3853, and Dogecoin slipped 1.3%.
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According to Wu Blockchain, Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds registered net inflows totaling $95.18 million during the March 16–20 period, representing the fourth successive week of positive capital flows into BTC ETF vehicles.
