Bitcoin Rises 3.5% to $68,000 Outperforming Gold and U.S. Stocks Amid Middle East Tensions

Bitcoin has climbed roughly 3.5% to about $68,000 since conflict-related tensions involving Iran began, outpacing gold, which dropped around 5%, silver down about 12%, and the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500, which slipped approximately 1% and 1.5% respectively, ChainCatcher reports. Derivatives data show open interest for Bitcoin futures has pulled back, with perpetual funding rates staying negative near 3.5%, pointing to persistent short positioning amid market deleveraging. The "Coinbase premium" has returned alongside ongoing net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, suggesting some U.S. institutional investors view the current price as an entry opportunity. WTI crude briefly touched about $116 per barrel before easing to around $100 amid expectations of G7 strategic reserve releases, while the U.S. Dollar Index has risen toward 99 and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield has moved from near 4% to roughly 4.2%.