On Thursday, February 26, global risk appetite is improving, with crypto grinding higher, gold holding near recent highs on U.S.–Iran tensions and tariff risks, global equities drifting up, and oil easing on supply comfort.
Crypto
Total crypto market cap is around $2.36 trillion, up about 4.5% in 24 hours, even as the Fear & Greed Index sits at 16, deep in “extreme fear”, the Altcoin Season Index is at 34/100, pointing to a Bitcoin-led market, and the Average Crypto RSI Index is near 57, showing a positive but not overheated market.
Bitcoin trades just under $68,600, up roughly 0.9% on the session, with dominance above 58%. Ethereum is near $2,080, gaining about 1%, while Solana trades around $88.5, up 0.5%, and BNB is steady at about $629.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs have flipped back to strong net inflows. After a $203.8 million net outflow on 23 February, the complex took in about $257.7 million on the 24th and $506.6 million on the 25th.
Commodities
Gold trades near $5,190 an ounce, up about 0.5% on the day and not far below its late-January record above $5,590, supported by uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and fresh U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Geneva.
U.S. crude is around $64.9 a barrel, off 1%, and Brent sits near $70.8, down about 0.7%, as traders balance the risk of disruption from any Iran escalation against higher U.S. inventories.
Stock Market Indices
U.S. equities remain strong, with the S&P 500 around 6,946 (+0.8%), the Dow Jones near 49,482 (+0.6%), and the Nasdaq about 23,152 (+1.3%), as tech stays in the lead after another strong earnings report from Nvidia.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 trades around 10,823.63, up 17.22 points, or 0.16%, today, while in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei is around 59,080, up 0.4%, reflecting a modestly risk-on tone.
Geopolitics & Market Movers
On the diplomatic front, Iran and the United States are in the third round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva. Tehran has signaled “flexibility,” but the meetings take place alongside the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in years, keeping a firm bid under gold.
On the economic front, the Bank of Japan has restored the prospect of rate hikes, helping the yen recover slightly.
In the U.S., markets still see the Federal Reserve holding rates steady at its March meeting, with the 10-year yield just above 4% and the dollar index around 97.4. Investors are now watching upcoming jobless claims and any further detail on tariff policy as key catalysts for the next move in risk assets.
