Bitcoin rallies to $106K on Mideast ceasefire news; Circle shares continue explosive climb

  • Bitcoin surged past $106K late Monday after Trump announced a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” between Iran and Israel.
  • The rally marked a sharp reversal from a plunge to $98,500 just 24 hours prior; oil prices tumbled to $65.
  • Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) stock hit a record high near $299, up 750% since its IPO this month.

A tumultuous 72 hours of price action in the cryptocurrency market culminated in a sharp rally late Monday, as Bitcoin surged past the $106,000 mark.

The catalyst for this dramatic move was an announcement from US President Donald Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform to proclaim a “complete and total” ceasefire between Iran and Israel, offering a glimmer of de-escalation in the volatile Middle East conflict.

The market’s reaction to President Trump’s announcement was immediate and forceful. “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now),” Trump wrote, sending a wave of relief through global markets.

Bitcoin, which had already been showing signs of a rebound in afternoon trading, jumped nearly another 3% on the news, decisively topping $106,000.

This represented a remarkable turnaround from just over 24 hours prior, when the leading cryptocurrency had plunged to as low as $98,500 amidst fears of a widening war.

At the time of this report, Bitcoin’s price had slightly pulled back from its peak to around $105,300, but held onto the majority of its gains.

The positive sentiment spilled over into traditional markets as well. US stock index futures posted gains of approximately 0.5% across the board.

The price of crude oil, which had soared to over $75 a barrel earlier in the day on supply disruption fears, tumbled further to just $65 per barrel following the ceasefire news.

The move in some major altcoins was even more pronounced, with Ether (ETH), XRP, and Solana (SOL) among those sporting impressive gains of 8%-10%.

While there was some initial confusion in the minutes following the president’s announcement regarding the validity of the ceasefire agreement, Reuters later reported that a senior Iranian official had confirmed Tehran’s agreement to a proposed ceasefire with Israel, lending credence to the market’s optimistic reaction.

Circle’s meteoric rise

In a parallel and equally dramatic market story, shares of stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) continued their explosive rally on Monday, soaring to a fresh record high.

The surge has brought the company’s market capitalization tantalizingly close to that of its flagship token, USDC, and puts it within striking distance of crypto exchange giant Coinbase (COIN).

Shares of Circle were up another 22% at one point on Monday morning, reaching a record high just shy of $299 before relinquishing some of those gains.

The stock ultimately closed at around $263, up a solid 9% for the session.

Since its Initial Public Offering (IPO) earlier this month, which priced at $31 per share, Circle’s stock has appreciated by a staggering 750%.

At its peak on Monday, Circle’s market capitalization reached roughly $60 billion.

This figure is nearly on par with the $61.3 billion supply of its USDC stablecoin, the second-largest dollar-pegged token in circulation.

This valuation also brings the firm remarkably close to that of crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), which currently has a market capitalization of about $78 billion.

Circle’s phenomenal surge this month is a clear testament to the soaring investor appetite for the fast-growing stablecoin market, a sector of the crypto industry with very few publicly-traded “pure play” investment options.

USDC is widely used across cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and is gaining increasing popularity for payments and cross-border transactions.

A key catalyst that has helped fuel Circle’s rally was the US Senate’s passage of the so-called GENIUS Act last week.

This legislation, which advances a regulatory framework for the stablecoin asset class, has boosted investor confidence in the long-term viability and growth potential of the sector, which some analysts believe could reach a multi-trillion dollar valuation in the coming years.

Despite the bullish momentum, some analysts are beginning to warn that Circle’s rally may be running ahead of its underlying fundamentals.

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Bitcoin breaks to $103k as Iran attacks US base in Qatar

  • Bitcoin price rose more than 3% to break to $103k on Monday.
  • Gains came despite Iran’s missile attacks on US bases in the Middle East.
  • BTC also seemed to rally amid reports that US President Donald Trump seeks no further military action in Iran

Bitcoin (BTC) has soared to $103,000 as of writing on Monday, June 23, 2025, defying expectations amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The cryptocurrency’s sharp rally comes despite Iran’s recent retaliatory attacks on US military bases.

It includes a ballistic missile strike on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar.

Reports indicate that US President Donald Trump has signaled a reluctance to pursue further military action against Iran, a stance that appears to have bolstered investor confidence in Bitcoin as a safe-haven asset.

However, this optimism is tempered by Qatar’s announcement of airspace closures, which resulted in a lot of airlines cancelling flights, and Qatar’s statement that it reserves the right to respond directly, adding volatility to the market.

Bitcoin price chart by CoinMarketCap

Bitcoin price gains amid geopolitical news, touches $103,000

Bitcoin’s price surged by over 3% within a few minutes as the market reacted to news that air defenses in Qatar had foiled an Iranian attack on the US air base at Al Udeid.

While investors adjusted to the development, buying pressure catapulted Bitcoin price from an initial dip to under $100k, with the benchmark digital asset hitting intraday highs above $103k.

The gains saw BTC solidify its bounce after falling to lows of $98,290 over the weekend amid US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Cryptocurrencies and stocks jumped as reports suggested Iran had warned Qatari authorities of the retaliatory attacks, with the US also aware of the strikes targeting the air base in Qatar in advance.

Similar warnings also hit US bases in Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain. These countries closed their airspaces.

What next for BTC amid Middle East conflict?

While the cryptocurrency market remains sensitive to geopolitical instability and may dump amid escalating tensions, Bitcoin could climb towards $104k or higher. If not, support may be around $100k and $98k.

Notably, the future trajectory of Bitcoin price and top altcoins remains uncertain, given Iran says it’s ready to increase the attacks. Qatar has also said it reserves the right to retaliate. Also key are reports that Trump isn’t looking to attack Iran.

However, Trump’s comments could be similar to what he said earlier this week, where he indicated a potential two-week deliberation period before deciding on military action against Iran. Yet, the US launched a surprise attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.

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HBAR price risks deeper drop as Hedera stablecoin supply slumps 80%

  • Token still near 2025 low despite short-term bounce.
  • Market activity remains muted across the Hedera network.
  • Recovery possible if price breaks above $0.15 zone.

Hedera’s native token HBAR is under mounting pressure as the network struggles with a sharp drop in stablecoin supply and declining market activity.

Despite gaining 5.61% in the past 24 hours to trade at $0.1372, HBAR remains close to its year-to-date low.

Over the past week, the token lost as much as 15% before staging a short-term bounce.

Meanwhile, Hedera’s stablecoin reserves have plummeted by more than 80% in just a month, highlighting severe liquidity issues that could weigh further on the token’s price.

Unless capital inflows pick up and on-chain activity rebounds, HBAR may breach critical support and extend its decline.

Stablecoin liquidity on Hedera drops to $41 million

According to data from DefiLlama, Hedera’s total stablecoin supply has declined to $41 million, marking its lowest level in the past 90 days.

This is a sharp reversal from the $216 million peak recorded last month.

The 80% drop reflects a broader decline in liquidity and user participation across the Hedera ecosystem.

Stablecoins are widely used as proxies for capital deployment in decentralised networks.

A significant contraction in their supply usually indicates reduced investor appetite for trading, lending, or yield farming.

This weakening demand reduces pressure on the native token to serve as gas or collateral, thereby putting more downside risk on HBAR.

If the stablecoin outflows continue, it may signal that users are migrating to alternative blockchains with more attractive yields or higher activity levels.

This could further strain Hedera’s token economy and its ability to retain value in a highly competitive decentralised finance (DeFi) landscape.

HBAR trades below key Ichimoku Cloud levels

From a technical perspective, HBAR’s current price action paints a bearish picture.

The token is trading below the Ichimoku Cloud on its daily chart, with resistance levels now positioned at $0.15 and $0.17.

These levels correspond to the indicator’s Leading Spans A and B, which act as dynamic resistance zones when prices remain underneath them.

The Ichimoku Cloud is commonly used to gauge market trends and momentum.

When the price is below the cloud, it typically reflects negative sentiment and a dominance of sellers.

For HBAR, these resistance zones must be reclaimed to shift the momentum in favour of bulls.

At the time of writing, HBAR is hovering at $0.1372, having risen 5.61% in the last 24 hours.

This recovery comes after days of steady losses, but the token remains close to its 2025 low of $0.13.

HBAR price
Source: CoinMarketCap

If this support level is breached again, there could be a cascade of further selloffs, particularly from short-term traders looking to limit losses.

Liquidity crunch threatens sustained sell pressure

The sharp reduction in stablecoin reserves has created a liquidity crunch on the Hedera network.

This restricts user activity and narrows the avenues for deploying capital.

As a result, network participation has stagnated, and fewer tokens are circulating in DeFi protocols or decentralised applications.

Without a recovery in stablecoin activity or a major catalyst to draw new users, HBAR’s fundamentals may continue to deteriorate.

In such a scenario, the market could see sustained selling pressure as investors rotate out of underperforming assets.

A break below $0.13 could trigger further losses, with lower support zones yet to be tested.

However, the current outlook may shift if buyers begin to accumulate at discounted levels.

Reversal possible if bulls reclaim $0.15

Despite the prevailing downtrend, a bullish reversal is still possible.

If investor sentiment improves and stablecoin liquidity returns to the Hedera network, it could spark renewed interest in HBAR.

A decisive move above $0.15 would be the first technical signal of recovery.

Such a breakout would allow HBAR to challenge the $0.17 resistance next, potentially reversing the multi-week bearish structure.

Until then, the token remains vulnerable to further losses, especially if macro market conditions stay risk-averse or network fundamentals weaken further.

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Strategy makes modest Bitcoin purchase amid ongoing accumulation

  • Strategy bought 245 Bitcoin for $26 million between June 16–22, one of its smallest weekly purchases since ramping up buying.
  • The company has now gone four weeks funding Bitcoin purchases without selling common stock, using preferred shares instead.
  • Strategy’s stock has soared over 3,000% since 2020, significantly outperforming Bitcoin’s 1,000% rise in the same period.

Strategy, the digital-asset treasury firm formerly known as MicroStrategy Inc., purchased $26 million worth of Bitcoin over the past seven days.

This marks the second-smallest weekly acquisition by the company since it ramped up cryptocurrency buying more than six months ago under the leadership of Executive Chairman Michael Saylor.

Latest acquisition

Between June 16 and June 22, Strategy acquired 245 Bitcoins at an average price of $105,856 each, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

While the firm has occasionally skipped weekly purchases, this week’s buy was the lowest since it acquired 130 Bitcoins during the week ending March 17.

Strategy, based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, now holds Bitcoin valued at approximately $60 billion.

Strategy’s executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, in a tweet, confirmed the purchase.

According to Saylor, the company now holds 592,345 bitcoins, acquired for $41.87 billion at $70,681 per bitcoin. 

The company has 19.2% year to date in BTC holdings, Saylor added.

Consistent buying, no equity Sales

For the fourth consecutive week, Strategy funded its Bitcoin purchases without selling any common stock.

Critics of the company’s approach, including short-seller Jim Chanos, have expressed concern over the high premium at which Strategy’s shares trade relative to the value of its Bitcoin holdings.

The company used net proceeds from the sale of its Strike preferred stock (STRK) and Strife preferred stock (STRF) to finance the latest Bitcoin acquisition. Saylor, a co-founder of Strategy, continues to lead the company’s aggressive cryptocurrency investment strategy.

Since the company first began acquiring Bitcoin in mid-2020, its shares have surged over 3,000%, far outpacing Bitcoin’s own rise of about 1,000% during the same timeframe.

Strategy had added aggressive positions in BTC in the previous weeks.

On June 16, the company bought 10,100 BTC at an average price of $104,080.

The company added positions when the market dipped due to the Israel-Iran conflict.

Since initiating its Bitcoin purchasing program in mid-2020, Strategy’s shares have soared over 3,000%.

By comparison, Bitcoin has gained around 1,000% in the same period. On Monday, Strategy’s stock fell 2.48% to $360.52.

From software to digital assets

MicroStrategy, historically known as an enterprise software company, shifted its corporate focus toward Bitcoin under Saylor’s leadership in 2020.

The firm now functions more like a Bitcoin treasury vehicle, drawing attention from both crypto advocates and traditional financial analysts.

While the strategy has delivered substantial returns, it remains controversial due to the volatility of cryptocurrency markets and the company’s aggressive capital deployment into digital assets.

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XRP crashes 12.5% in TVL, ETF delay and war fears trigger selloff

  • XRP Ledger TVL dropped 12.5% to US$54.2 million.
  • Open interest fell 36%, funding rates turned negative.
  • Death cross and descending triangle indicate more downside.

XRP is facing renewed downside pressure as a combination of geopolitical instability, regulatory uncertainty, and weakening network metrics push the token closer to a critical breakdown.

The cryptocurrency, once buoyed by optimism surrounding a possible XRP ETF and Ripple’s courtroom wins, is now testing major support near the $2 mark. However, XRP has rebounded slightly and is now up by 3.34%, trading at $2.02.

XRP price
Source: CoinMarketCap

With bearish technical formations in place and key indicators flashing red, analysts suggest the next move could drag XRP down toward $1.47—or worse.

ETF delay and macro risks hurt sentiment

Investor confidence took a hit after the US Securities and Exchange Commission postponed its decision on the Franklin Templeton spot XRP ETF.

This marked the latest in a series of regulatory setbacks for crypto assets in the US, fuelling speculation that XRP’s institutional adoption may take longer than expected.

The delay, announced last week, coincided with rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. As fears of a broader conflict mounted, Bitcoin and other major altcoins were caught in a widespread risk-off move.

XRP was particularly affected, entering one of its longest losing streaks in over a month.

This double blow—the ETF delay and broader crypto selloff—triggered a rapid loss of momentum, with XRP now trading just above its crucial $2 level. Today’s move above $2.00, however, signals a short-term bounce that traders are watching closely.

On-chain metrics flash weakness

Network data is showing signs of deterioration.

Total value locked (TVL) on the XRP Ledger has dropped approximately 12.5% to US$54.2 million, indicating reduced participation and weakening decentralized finance activity.

This decline has cast doubt on XRP’s use-case strength, especially as competing networks show more resilient metrics under similar market conditions.

Open interest in XRP derivatives has also plunged by nearly 36%, with funding rates turning negative. These data points suggest traders are shifting to a more bearish stance, expecting lower prices ahead.

XRP is displaying a descending triangle pattern on technical charts—often considered a bearish signal—alongside a “death cross” where the 50-day moving average dips below the 200-day average.

Support zones and possible downside targets

According to technical analyst EGRAG Crypto, the $2.10–$2.09 range had served as a major support level aligned with the 200-day moving average.

But repeated tests have weakened this zone, making a decisive break more likely.

If XRP fails to hold above $2, the next demand zone sits between $1.90 and $1.77.

A further breakdown could see XRP testing the $1.47 support level, and in the worst-case scenario, analysts warn of a sub-$1 drop if panic selling sets in.

But with today’s recovery to $2.02, the $2 mark may hold for now, at least temporarily delaying this downside path.

ETF hopes and bounce arguments remain

Despite the bearish setup, some market participants remain optimistic. XRP recently showed a quick V-shaped recovery from around $1.91 to reclaim the $2 level, backed by roughly US$4 billion in futures trading volume.

This bounce, while short-lived, demonstrated that there is still demand at lower levels.

CasiTrades, a well-followed trader, has suggested that a successful defence of the $2 level could open up a path toward $3, especially if volume holds and macro news improves.

Meanwhile, event-based prediction platform Polymarket shows more than 80% odds for a spot XRP ETF approval later this year, giving bulls a potential catalyst to look forward to.

With XRP now trading at $2.02, attention is back on whether this bounce has enough volume and momentum to push further upward—or whether sellers will return around this level.

Outlook hinges on technicals and regulation

XRP is now at a crucial inflection point. If the $2 support level fails to hold, downside risks could accelerate, potentially taking the price toward $1.47 or lower.

On the other hand, holding above $2 amid improving ETF sentiment and calming geopolitical tensions could set the stage for a reversal toward $2.30–$2.33 and beyond.

Market watchers are advised to monitor ETF news closely, particularly from the SEC, while keeping an eye on network metrics and price behaviour around key support levels.

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