Global markets started the week with a cautious tone as Donald Trump’s threat to strike Iranian infrastructure kept pressure on sentiment, while reports of possible ceasefire talks stopped a broader selloff, leaving oil below its early spike, gold supported, and equities mixed.
Crypto
Crypto prices moved higher, with total market capitalization at $2.39 trillion, up 3.58% over the past 24 hours, while the Fear & Greed Index stood at 39, pointing to fear, the Altcoin Season Index held at 32/100, showing that Bitcoin remains in control of the market, and the Average Crypto RSI stood at 57.24, suggesting that momentum had improved.
Bitcoin is trading at $69,692, up 1.00%, Ethereum is at $2,149.39, up 1.86%, BNB stands at $605.68, up 0.69%, and Solana is at $82.46, up 0.70%, with Bitcoin dominance at 59.03%, showing that most of the strength is still centered in the largest coins.
Bitcoin ETF flows were mixed over the last three sessions. On March 31, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net inflow of $117.5 million, with IBIT bringing in $98.4 million. However, on April 1, the group saw a net outflow of $173.7 million, including an $86.5 million outflow from IBIT, and on April 2, flows turned slightly positive again, with a $9.0 million net inflow, although IBIT still posted a $3.0 million outflow. That pattern suggests institutions are still active, but demand is moving quickly with changes in the macro picture.
Commodities
Oil remains the clearest signal of market stress. Brent crude is around $107.11 a barrel, down 1.76% on the day after earlier moving above $110, while WTI is near $109.50, down 1.82%. Prices have eased from recent highs, but they are still elevated as traders remain focused on the risk of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gold is trading around $4,691.86 an ounce, up 0.35%, and remains close to record levels, as a softer dollar, safe-haven demand, and concern that higher oil prices could keep inflation elevated are all helping to support the metal.
Stock Market Indices
Equity markets are mixed. The S&P 500 is at 6,582.68, up 0.11%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 46,504.67, down 0.13%, and the Nasdaq Composite is at 21,879.18, up 0.18%. That suggests investors are still willing to hold large growth names, but are not adding risk aggressively.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 is up 0.64% at 53,880, while the FTSE is up 0.26% at 10,461.0, with some support coming from hopes that diplomacy could reduce the immediate risk of further escalation, although trading volumes remain light and confidence is still limited.
Geopolitics & Market Sentiment
On the diplomatic side, the main issue for markets is still the U.S.-Iran conflict, with Trump setting a Tuesday deadline tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz while separate reports point to talks around a temporary ceasefire, leaving investors focused on whether the next move is negotiation or escalation.
A second concern is the wider economic effect of the conflict. The Bank of Japan warned that higher oil costs and supply disruption could hurt business sentiment, profits, and growth if the conflict lasts.
In the United States, strong March payroll data has made it harder to argue for near-term Fed easing, while the dollar index at 99.676 and USD/JPY near 159.481 show that investors are still leaning toward safety and yield.
