Bitcoin quietly gained ground while gold crumbled. That contrast has become 
one of the more telling stories to emerge from weeks of escalating conflict in 
the Middle East, as the two assets — long compared as competing stores of 
value — have moved in sharply opposite directions since the US and Israel 
launched strikes on Iran in late February. Related Reading: Bitcoin Gains 
Ground On Gold Even As Both Assets Slide Bitcoin Climbs As Gold Bleeds Since 
those first attacks, Bitcoin has risen more than 11% to around $70,650. Gold, 
meanwhile, has shed over 12% from its peak. Reports indicate the 
cryptocurrency has held up better than expected under the pressure of a 
widening war — a performance that has drawn attention in financial markets 
still trying to make sense of the conflict&#8217;s economic fallout. Gold&#8217;s losses 
accelerated this week. The metal dropped 3.4% on Friday alone, closing around 
$4,480 per ounce. For the full week of March 16-20, the decline reached 10% — 
the steepest weekly fall since 1983, according to data confirmed by 
TradingView. It surpassed even the sharp drop seen in late January, when gold 
shed hundreds of dollars in a matter of days and wiped out more than $2 
trillion in market value within weeks of hitting $5,500 per ounce. That 
January plunge shocked investors. This one may have rattled them more. Fed 
Signals No Rate Cuts, Adding Pressure On Gold The Federal Reserve is adding to 
gold&#8217;s troubles. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that rising energy 
prices — driven in part by war-related disruptions in the Middle East — are 
expected to push inflation higher in the near term. Traders have responded by 
pulling back expectations for rate cuts in 2025. Rates are now widely expected 
to hold steady through the year. That shift matters for gold. When interest 
rates stay high, bonds and other yield-bearing instruments become more 
attractive by comparison. Gold pays no interest. It earns nothing while it 
sits. Reports note that this dynamic has weighed on demand from institutional 
investors who might otherwise hold the metal as a hedge. Related Reading: 
Crypto Adoption No Longer Optional, Survey Finds As 72% Of Finance Leaders 
Signal Commitment Trump Signals Possible Wind-Down Of Military Push The Iran 
conflict has also disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the 
world&#8217;s most critical shipping corridors. That disruption has stoked fears of 
a prolonged energy crunch, adding more uncertainty to global markets already 
on edge. US President Donald Trump said Friday he was considering pulling back 
from military operations in the region. At the same time, the US has deployed 
thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, and airstrikes have 
continued. The mixed signals have left markets guessing about what comes next. 
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin Holds As Gold Posts Worst Week Since 1983 Amid Iran War

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A small shift in institutional portfolios could unlock massive bitcoin demand, 
with Morgan Stanley’s framework implying flows that may exceed Blackrock’s 
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