Bitcoins <\/p>\n
Bitcoin<\/a> (BTC) edged higher on March 26 after President Donald Trump said he would extend his pause on attacks against Iranian energy infrastructure by 10 days, giving markets brief relief after a broader risk-off selloff tied to rising yields and weaker rate-cut expectations.<\/p>\n The cryptocurrency recovered about 1% from an intraday low near US$68,450 (AU$99,253) to trade just above US$69,000 (AU$100,050). The bounce followed a session in which Bitcoin had fallen more than 3% and the Nasdaq dropped 2.4%.<\/p>\n Trump said<\/a> diplomatic talks were \u201cvery good and productive\u201d and aimed at a full resolution, but Iranian state media denied any negotiations were underway, leaving the truce\u2019s durability in doubt.<\/p>\n Related: Solana Unveils All-in-One Developer Platform to Lure Global Finance Giants<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Markets remain under pressure from higher borrowing costs and persistent inflation risks. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.43%, its highest level since August and up 48 basis points since the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28. The five-year yield climbed to 4.10%, a nine-month high.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brent crude pulled back from an early-conflict spike to US$115 (AU$167) per barrel but stayed elevated, reinforcing concern that energy prices could keep inflation high.<\/p>\n That has further weakened hopes for Federal Reserve easing. The Fed left rates unchanged<\/a> at 3.5% to 3.75% on March 18, and its updated dot plot pointed to just one cut for the rest of 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n Seven policymakers now expect no cuts this year. Chair Jerome Powell said inflation\u2019s \u201clast mile\u201d remains difficult, while futures markets now price the first cut no earlier than December 2026.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that Bitcoin ETFs posted US$167.2 million (AU$242.4 million) in net inflows on March 23 after Trump first announced a five-day pause, with BlackRock\u2019s IBIT contributing US$160.8 million (AU$233.2 million).\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the next day, after Iran denied talks<\/a> were taking place, the funds swung to a US$66.6 million (AU$96.6 million) net outflow, not to mention the negative effect it had on BTC.<\/p>\n By March 25, week-to-date flows were still modestly positive at US$100.6 million (AU$145.9 million).<\/p>\nCrypto Markets Under Pressure<\/h2>\n