Bitcoin has retreated to $81,100 from weekend highs of about $82,500 as Iran peace negotiations face fresh obstacles. According to latest reports, President Trump and Iran rejected the latest peace proposals offered by each side over the weekend, with no signs that the Iran war could end soon. The U.S. reportedly sent its latest offer late last week, which was rejected by Iranian officials who said it was effectively a surrender. Iran sent its own response and proposal over the weekend, which Trump on Sunday rejected on social media, without providing details about the offer or why it was "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" Iranian officials are seeking a deal that includes reparations from the U.S. for starting the conflict, as well as control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.
Earlier in the week, Bitcoin fell below $77,000 after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller warned that future rate hikes could not be ruled out if inflation stays high. As reported, markets reacted quickly with traders beginning to price in the possibility of a 25 basis point hike by October 2026, which put pressure on risk assets. The move reflected a familiar pattern where higher real yields and a stronger dollar tend to weigh on Bitcoin, especially when investors already face weak consumer sentiment and rising energy-price risk. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was at 4.39%, up from Friday's close of 4.36%, reflecting the Fed's hawkish stance.
Crude oil prices are moving higher as there were no signs over the weekend that the Iran war could end soon. West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. crude oil benchmark, were up 2.5% recently to about $98 per barrel. Stock futures are holding steady Monday morning as investors assess developments from over the weekend in Iran. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs on Friday and have posted gains for six consecutive weeks, while the Dow has risen in five of the last six weeks. Gold futures were down 1% recently at $4,680 an ounce, while bitcoin was trading at around $81,100, down from weekend highs.
Crypto traders moved into selective altcoin themes during the week, with AI tokens, privacy coins, and institutional blockchain plays gaining attention. According to reports, AI and privacy coins also rallied, with NEAR, Worldcoin, Zcash, ONDO, Morpho, and Hyperliquid among the stronger performers. The recovery showed how closely crypto remains tied to geopolitical risk, with traders returning to risk assets as peace-deal signals emerged. Intel is leading chip stocks higher again this morning, while fellow AI chipmaker Cerebras is reportedly set to lift its IPO price this week amid stronger-than-expected demand.
Regulatory clarity also shaped the week's crypto narrative, with Grayscale identifying potential winners from the CLARITY Act. As reported by Grayscale, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and Canton Network could be among the biggest winners if the CLARITY Act passes. The asset manager said institutional capital will likely move first toward chains with strong activity in tokenized assets, stablecoins, DeFi, and regulated finance. Ethereum and Solana remain obvious candidates because of their liquidity and developer depth, while Canton stands out for its links to major firms including DTCC, J.P. Morgan, HSBC, and Visa.
Investors will be monitoring key economic data and political developments this week, including the Consumer Price Index reading for April due out tomorrow morning, which will provide the latest data point on how the Iran war is affecting inflation. The full Senate is expected to vote this week on the confirmation of Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, after being voted through the Senate Banking Committee last month. Trump is scheduled to travel to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, after the summit was rescheduled from last month because of the Iran war. Among the notable earnings reports this week are Under Armour (UA, UAA), footwear maker On Holding (ONON), Cisco (CSCO) and buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna (KLAR).
