Bitcoin declines as Trump threatens more Iran strikes

Bitcoin declined on Thursday, tracking broader losses across cryptocurrencies and risk assets after US President Donald Trump signaled an escalation in military operations against Iran in the coming weeks.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency retreated after a relatively positive start to April but remained within the trading range that has dominated its performance for most of the year. Bitcoin fell 2.9% to $66,465.7 as of 01:29 AM Eastern Time (05:29 GMT).

Trump said on Wednesday evening that the United States will intensify its military operations against Iran over the next two to three weeks, noting that Washington is close to achieving its military objectives.

He added: “We will hit them very hard over the next two to three weeks,” reiterating the need to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Trump also called on Iran to accept an agreement or face US strikes targeting energy infrastructure, a threat he has repeated several times since the conflict began.

The US president’s remarks weakened hopes for de-escalation in the Iran war, especially after earlier signals this week had suggested a possible reduction in military operations.

Iran, for its part, denied earlier this week that it had engaged with the United States regarding a ceasefire, confirming that no direct talks have taken place since the conflict began more than a month ago.

Risk assets declined broadly following Trump’s remarks, with Asian equities and Wall Street futures posting notable losses.

Bitcoin ETFs record first inflows since October

Data from SoSoValue showed that Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded their first positive monthly inflows in March since October.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows of $1.2 billion during March, following four consecutive months of outflows. This came as Bitcoin had declined by as much as 50% from its record high reached in October.

During March, Bitcoin outperformed most other speculative assets, posting modest gains while sectors such as equities and precious metals recorded significant losses. However, the world’s largest cryptocurrency remains down about 24% since the start of 2026 and has traded near the $60,000 level for most of the year.

Altcoins decline as Iran concerns persist

Other cryptocurrencies also declined broadly as risk appetite weakened amid ongoing tensions related to the Iran war.

Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, fell 4.7% to $2,049.22, while XRP declined 3.6% to $1.3139.