Bitcoin rose on Tuesday but was trading below levels reached earlier in the week as heightened geopolitical tensions linked to conflict between the U.S. and Iran kept broader risk-taking subdued.
By 01:25 ET (06:25 GMT) Tuesday, Bitcoin was up 2.5% at $67,884.4. The token remained well within the price band that has characterized most of February and continued to grapple with large year-to-date losses.
Market moves and range-bound trading
Bitcoin picked up some upside following strength on Wall Street, briefly rising as high as $69,213.3 on Monday. Even so, the cryptocurrency remained below the $70,000 threshold - a level it has struggled to reclaim since late January. Over the past month, Bitcoin has largely oscillated between about $60,000 and $70,000 as a wave of uncertainties has damped appetite for speculative assets.
The market backdrop has left crypto on the defensive: Bitcoin is still dealing with an over 40% decline from its record highs in October, and it is trading down 22% so far in 2026. Recent buy activity by a top corporate holder called Strategy did little to restore positive sentiment toward the sector.
Geopolitical headwinds
Risk appetite was expected to remain fragile amid continued hostilities involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Leaders in those countries signaled little inclination toward de-escalation, and media reports indicated military action in the Middle East was ongoing as of Tuesday. Those developments left investors cautious and weighed on demand for risk-sensitive assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Macro calendar and interest rate sensitivity
Beyond geopolitics, market participants were focused on key U.S. economic data due later in the week, notably the nonfarm payrolls report for February. That payroll print is expected on Friday and is likely to influence expectations for U.S. interest rates. Several Federal Reserve officials were scheduled to speak ahead of the payrolls release, and any shifts in rate expectations could affect crypto markets given their sensitivity to lending and liquidity conditions.
Altcoins and token performance
Other major digital assets also advanced on Tuesday but were trading below the peaks seen on Monday. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market value, rose 2.6% to $1,993.79. XRP gained 0.9% to $1.3621. Solana increased 2.9%, while Cardano fell 1.1%. BNB added 2.5%.
Among memecoins, Dogecoin slipped 0.6%, and $TRUMP rose 1.5%.
Notes: The market remained attentive to both geopolitical developments and incoming U.S. economic data, with crypto prices expected to track any consequential shifts in interest-rate expectations.