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Bitcoin dropped to $74,499 after failing to hold above $75,000, as US-Iran conflict worsened.
Ethereum declined over 2% to $2,280 as the $292 million KelpDAO hack shook investor confidence.
Despite the downturn, institutional interest remains strong with Bitcoin ETFs seeing $1.2 billion inflows.
Crypto prices today are on a downward trend amid renewed US-Iran conflict. The ceasefire seemed to be in trouble after American forces seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. The news sent oil prices surging more than 6%, near $100 a barrel, and rattled global markets.
Bitcoin slipped below $75,000, and Ethereum was down more than 2%. Most top coins followed suit, showing strong bearish signs. The global crypto market cap dipped 1.25% to
$ 2.52 trillion at press time. Investors pulled back from riskier bets, a familiar pattern whenever macro stress spikes.
Here’s everything you need to know about the price movements and the latest crypto news driving them, based on CoinMarketCap data.
Bitcoin is down 1.53% in the last 24 hours at $74,499. It has a market cap of over $1.49 trillion. Earlier in the week, BTC was trading closer to the $76,000-$77,000 range before the weekend's geopolitical flare-up dragged it lower.
CoinSwitch Markets Desk noted, “BTC ETFs have seen $1.2 billion in inflows over the past four days, highlighting continued institutional interest. While price is consolidating near key resistance, a move above $78,000 could open further upside, while $70,000 continues to act as a support zone.”
Here is how the world’s top ten coins performed over the last 24 hours.
Biggest Losers: Hyperliquid, Ethereum, XRP, Solana
Sole Gainer: TRON
WazirX Market’s Desk commented, “Sector data for the week ending April 19 shows mixed performance across categories. Real World Assets (RWA), Metaverse/NFTs, and Meme Coins added saw a slight increase. In contrast, Private Coins, DeFi, and several other categories posted smaller losses.”
Also Read: 10 Best DeFi Crypto Projects in 2026
Here are the top headlines impacting crypto prices today.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf recently challenged the safe-haven status of US Treasuries amid rising tensions over Hormuz. He argued that while oil relies on physical benchmarks like Dated Brent, Treasury bonds are merely driven by fragile market sentiment and ‘vibes.’
Ghalibaf talked about this vibe trading trend in an X post:
Brent crude surged 6.76% to $96.49, and WTI jumped to $90.38 at the time of writing. The surge came after the US seized an Iranian cargo ship and Iran rejected a second round of peace talks. If crude climbs toward the $110-$150 range that analysts are warning about, expect further pressure on crypto prices.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. It fired warning shots at vessels and turned back tankers over the weekend. The ceasefire expires on April 22. A breakdown would push energy costs higher globally.
Meanwhile, Trump's approval rating fell to a second-term low of 37%. 67% people disapproved of his handling of the Iran war, according to an NBC News poll. Political instability tends to weigh on the US dollar and Treasuries. These conditions can either be potentially bullish for Bitcoin as a hedge or broadly bearish if it triggers wider risk-off selling across digital assets.
The US CLARITY Act has been delayed again, with Senator Tillis confirming no updated draft this week. The standoff between banks and crypto firms over the stablecoin yield issue continues. It is a drag on institutional adoption and a lingering cloud over US crypto news and sentiment.
The largest DeFi exploit of 2026, a $292 million bridge hack on KelpDAO, left Aave with over $236 million in bad debt. TRON founder Justin Sun publicly reached out to the hacker to negotiate a return of the funds. Ethereum dropped sharply following the news. Large-scale exploits like this shake confidence in DeFi infrastructure and can trigger cascading selling in ETH and related tokens.
Over 32% of all ETH supply is now staked, tightening the amount available for trading according to an AMBCrypto report. This compressed supply can amplify upward price moves. Derivatives are driving demand right now, with perpetual volume at $34.7 billion far outpacing spot volume of $14.3 billion. Funding rates have turned slightly negative, pointing to growing short pressure on Ethereum despite the supply squeeze.
Also Read: 10 Best Crypto YouTube Channels & Influencers
Crypto prices today are tied to macro developments. Avinash Shekhar, Co-founder and CEO, Pi42, says, “Chasing sudden dips or over-leveraging positions could prove counterproductive in such conditions. A disciplined approach with a medium to long-term view, combined with selective accumulation during corrections, remains the more effective strategy as markets stabilize and CLARITY emerges on the geopolitical front.”
If US-Iran talks resume and oil cools off, risk assets, including Bitcoin, could bounce quickly. However, with crude near $97 and the ceasefire expiring on April 22, volatility is the base case. Bitcoin's key support sits around $70,000; a break below that level could accelerate selling across the broader crypto market.
1. What is the latest crypto news?
The latest crypto news shows that markets are under pressure due to rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran. Oil prices surged sharply, which led investors to pull money out of risky assets like cryptocurrencies. At the same time, a major DeFi hack involving KelpDAO added further fear in the market. These factors combined caused Bitcoin and most altcoins to decline, while only a few tokens like TRON managed to stay positive.
2. What is Bitcoin price today?
Bitcoin is currently trading at $74,499, showing a decline of around 1.53% in the last 24 hours. The price dropped below the key $75,000 level after staying in the $76K–$77K range earlier in the week. Market experts say that $70,000 is now acting as a strong support level, while $78,000 remains an important resistance point for any upward movement.
3. Why is the crypto market down today?
The crypto market is down mainly due to macroeconomic pressure and global uncertainty. Rising tensions between the US and Iran pushed oil prices close to $100, which made investors cautious. When risk increases globally, people often move their money into safer assets instead of crypto. In addition, the KelpDAO hack reduced confidence in DeFi platforms, which also contributed to the market-wide decline.
4. How is the US-Iran conflict impacting crypto?
The US-Iran conflict is affecting crypto markets by increasing global uncertainty and pushing oil prices higher. When oil prices rise quickly, it signals economic stress, and investors tend to avoid risky investments like cryptocurrencies. This leads to selling pressure across Bitcoin and altcoins. However, in some cases, Bitcoin can act as a hedge, so the long-term impact depends on how the situation develops further.
5. What is the KelpDAO hack?
The KelpDAO hack is one of the biggest DeFi exploits of 2026, where around $292 million was stolen through a bridge vulnerability. This incident also caused over $236 million in bad debt for Aave, making it a major event in the crypto space. Such hacks reduce trust in decentralized finance systems and often trigger panic selling, especially in tokens like Ethereum that are closely linked to DeFi activity.
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