Bitcoin and Asian stocks fell Friday after fresh U.S. airstrikes on Iran raised geopolitical uncertainty. Additionally, President Donald Trump’s allegations that China tampered with the 2020 election hurt risk sentiment, sending the Australian dollar lower.
BTC, the leading cryptocurrency by market value, slipped below $63,000, extending Thursday’s nearly 1.4% slide from $65,000, according to CoinDesk data. As of this writing, the cryptocurrency traded just below its 50-day simple moving average, the widely-tracked gauge of near-term momentum.
Asian equity markets wilted, with Japan’s Nikkei trading nearly 3% lower at its lowest in over a month. Australia’s ASX 200 slipped by 0.5% alongside a 0.8% drop in futures tied to Nasdaq. Wall Street’s tech-heavy index fell by over 1.6% on Thursday.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency quoted Hormozgan Province Governorate, saying that U.S. airstrikes have hit five bridges in the southern Hormozgan province. A missile strike also hit Iran’s Chabahar maritime control tower. Surprisingly, WTI oil futures held steady at around $79 per barrel, ignoring the geopolitical stress from the fresh wave of U.S. attacks on Iran.