Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are still trending low coming out of the weekend, and there is the possibility that this could continue this new week. A number of developments have hit the crypto market recently that could deepen the already negative sentiment surrounding the crypto industry. Thus, with Bitcoin and Ethereum being the foremost digital assets in the space, they could be hit first by the wave of negative news coming out of the market.
US-Iran War Is Far From Over: Bitcoin, Ethereum Prices Could Crash
Back in February 2026, the United States had attacked Iranian military forces, leading to what is now known as the US-Iran war. Since then, tensions have remained high, the financial markets have suffered greatly as a result, and risk assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum have not been left out.
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In the month that followed the initial attack, there had been talks of a ceasefire. However, President Donald Trump, in his latest address, completely dashed the hopes of a ceasefire. According to a report from SoSoValue, this has now pushed things toward escalation, rather than a resolution.
With President Trump dismissing the need for global oil and leaving the Strait of Hormuz to be guarded by other nations, oil prices are expected to ramp up higher during this time. In addition, there is the expectation of interest rate hikes, and this could negatively affect the Bitcoin and Ethereum prices during this time.
Crypto Market Hit By Another Hack
With the move into the bear market and Bitcoin and Ethereum prices crashing, attacks on the crypto market seemed to have slowed down. That is, until now, when news of the DRIFT Protocol hack broke during the weekend.
According to reports, the Solana protocol had been targeted by North Korean threat actors, who eventually succeeded. In jus 12 minutes, these bad actors were able to infiltrate the protocols wallets and make away with $285 million, with the attack attributed to the Lazarus Group.
Naturally, the movement of liquidity out of the market remains a major concern given that Bitcoin and Ethereum are already suffering from low liquidity. The DRIFT token also crashed 40% once the news broke, leaving the market in a state of shock.
On-chain sleuth ZachXBT also took to X to call out Circle for failing to act while the USDC from the DRIFT attack was being moved across over 100 transactions. The funds have since been moved from Solana to Ethereum, leaving users wondering as to what is being done to protect against these threat actors.
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Sentiment Falls Toward Record Levels
Another factor that could drive down the Bitcoin and Ethereum prices is the fact that investors are still very wary of putting money into the market. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is currently sitting in the Extreme Fear territory, which marks a time of low liquidity and participation in the market.
If sentiment does not begin to improve and liquidity does not flow back into the market, then the Bitcoin and Ethereum prices could continue to decline. This could trigger a cascading event where investors panic-sell in order to reduce losses, thereby leading to a steep decline.
Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com