Bitcoin Starts April with Modest Gains Amid Hopes for Iran Ceasefire
By Anuron Mitra
Published April 1, 2026, 3:01 AM ET | Updated April 1, 2026, 5:28 PM ET
Investing.com – Bitcoin edged slightly higher on Wednesday, maintaining modest gains as the new month began, buoyed by investor optimism following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that Iran has requested a ceasefire. The news has strengthened hopes for de-escalation in the Middle East, supporting risk appetite across financial markets.
Bitcoin Performance
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, rose 0.3% to $68,478.60 by 5:26 PM ET (9:26 PM GMT), recovering some of the earlier session’s losses but broadly staying above the flat line. The digital asset ended March with nearly a 2% gain, breaking a five-month streak of decline marked by sharp drops in its value.
Trump Announces Iran’s Ceasefire Request
President Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday to declare that “Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!”
Trump added, “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”
If confirmed, this development would represent a major step toward easing tensions following months of conflict, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply passes. Iran’s effective closure of the strait since the conflict’s onset has contributed to surging global oil prices and increased inflationary pressures.
Uncertain Outlook on Strait of Hormuz
Despite the ceasefire announcement, uncertainty remains as to when or if the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen for international shipping. Trump indicated on Tuesday that the U.S. military operations against Iran may cease within two to three weeks, asserting that Washington had successfully curtailed Iran’s nuclear ambitions and influenced regime change in Tehran.
However, he noted it was not necessary for Iran to accept a formal deal to end hostilities. Reports suggested the U.S. might delegate reopening the strait to European and Gulf allies instead of direct American intervention.
Market Impact and Inflation Concerns
The Iran conflict’s impact on energy prices triggered broad market concerns during March, fueling speculation that global central banks might adopt more hawkish policy stances to combat rising inflation. Such an environment typically weighs on speculative assets, including cryptocurrencies, which often see heightened volatility in uncertain macroeconomic conditions.
Quantum Computing and Crypto Security
In a related development, Google researchers published a white paper highlighting new risks quantum computing could pose to cryptocurrencies. Their study suggested that breakthroughs in quantum computing might enable attackers to break elliptic curve cryptography, the cryptographic method underpinning Bitcoin’s security.
Google estimates that a superconducting quantum computer with fewer than 500,000 physical qubits—significantly fewer than previous estimates—could potentially compromise Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations by 2029. The researchers urged the crypto community to begin transitioning toward post-quantum cryptography solutions to safeguard blockchain assets.
The research involved contributions from Coinbase, the Stanford Institute for Blockchain Research, and the Ethereum Foundation.
Broader Crypto Market Movement
Alongside Bitcoin, other major cryptocurrencies gained on hopes of conflict de-escalation in Iran:
- Ethereum (ETH) climbed 2.7% to $2,159.79
- XRP increased 1.1% to $1.3550
- Cardano (ADA) added 3.6%
- Solana (SOL) showed slight gains
- Binance Coin (BNB) experienced a small loss of 0.4%
Memecoins also reflected mixed performances, with Dogecoin (DOGE) up 0.8%, while the novelty token $TRUMP slipped 0.6%.
Despite lingering geopolitical risks, the crypto market outperformed some other risk-driven assets in March, suggesting investor appetite for speculative digital assets may be reviving alongside hopes for reduced tensions in the Middle East.
Market Snapshot
As of Wednesday’s trading:
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: 46,504.67 (-0.13%)
- S&P 500: 6,582.69 (+0.11%)
- Nasdaq Composite: 21,879.18 (+0.18%)
- Crude Oil WTI Futures: $112.06 (+0.47%)
- Brent Oil Futures: $109.03 (+7.78%)
- Gold Futures: $4,702.70 (+0.49%)
Energy and precious metals showed notable strength amid the geopolitical developments, with Brent crude rising significantly.
This article includes contributions from Ambar Warrick and Vahid Karaahmetovic.
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