Bitcoin and Asian stocks fell Friday after new U.S. airstrikes on Iran increased geopolitical uncertainty. Additionally, President Donald Trump’s allegations that China tampered with the 2020 election hurt risk sentiment, sending the Australian dollar lower.
BTC, the top cryptocurrency by market value, fell to $63,600, extending Thursday’s nearly 1.4% decline from $65,000, according to CoinDesk data. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency was trading just below its 50-day simple moving average, the widely tracked indicator of short-term momentum.
Asian stock markets collapsed, with Japan’s Nikkei trading down nearly 3% to its lowest level in more than a month. Australia’s ASX 200 fell 0.5%, alongside a 0.8% decline in Nasdaq-linked futures. Wall Street’s technology index fell more than 1.6% on Thursday.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cited the governorate of Hormozgan province as saying that US airstrikes hit five bridges in the southern province of Hormozgan. A missile strike also hit Iran’s Chabahar maritime control tower. Surprisingly, WTI oil futures held steady at around $79 per barrel, ignoring the geopolitical stress caused by the new wave of US attacks on Iran.
