Crypto News #Gate广场四月发帖挑战 04.10 (: Bitcoin Price Tied Closely to Geopolitical Situations and Oil Prices, Iran Proposes Payment Fees via BTC for Oil Transportation

1. Trends in Bitcoin Price and Market Analysis
1. Recently, Bitcoin prices have been directly affected by the US-Iran geopolitical conflict and oil price fluctuations, with sharp volatility: optimistic sentiment about a ceasefire has repeatedly pushed BTC above $70k, $72k. If the ceasefire fails, oil prices will rise, and BTC will face correction pressures, with a trend closely linked to global risk appetite and Federal Reserve interest rate cut forecasts.
2. Market institutions have divergent views on the trend: positive outlooks suggest that if oil prices continue to decline, it will prompt the Fed to cut rates sooner, combined with short positions around $70k within the $72,000-$73,500 range. Breaking through this could trigger liquidation chains, pushing BTC to $80k; on-chain data also shows short-term traders are exiting the market, while long-term investors are continuously accumulating, fueling the next rally.
3. Negative perspectives argue that if BTC cannot hold above $75k, it could fall back to $10k, as market confidence remains fragile. Short-term technical analysis indicates current BTC volatility is concentrated between $69k and $73k, with support around $69,000 and key resistance between $73,000 and $76k. Investors should watch for breakout points and maintain these levels, as short-term volatility risks remain high.
2. Trends in Bitcoin ETFs and Activities of Traditional Institutions
1. Morgan Stanley recently discovered that the newly launched MSBT Bitcoin ETF recorded approximately $30.6 million in inflows on its first day. This ETF, with a fee of 0.14%, is currently the lowest-cost spot Bitcoin ETF in the US market, leveraging Morgan Stanley’s vast financial advisory network for distribution advantages.
2. Recently, there has been an outflow of funds from overall crypto ETFs: on April 7, Bitcoin ETFs experienced net withdrawals of $159 million, Ethereum ETFs about $64.67 million, with only small altcoin ETFs like Ripple seeing minor inflows, reflecting ongoing market skepticism.
3. Financial institutions continue to promote crypto activities: Charles Schwab plans to test spot BTC and ETH trading in Q2 2026, and CME Group plans to launch new crypto futures contracts in May, indicating increasing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin.
3. Strategic Applications of Bitcoin in Geopolitics
1. During the US-Iran ceasefire, Iran announced that oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz would pay fees in Bitcoin, charging $1 per barrel, utilizing Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer, untraceable features to avoid US sanctions. Oil tankers without cargo could pass freely.
2. This event marks the first time a sovereign nation uses cryptocurrency as a strategic tool in geopolitical play, breaking the notion of crypto solely as a financial asset, and signifying that encryption technology is officially entering national financial practice, while also exposing cracks in the traditional dollar-oil system.
4. Changes in Bitcoin Holdings by Key Entities
1. Bhutan has continuously sold off its Bitcoin reserves accumulated through national hydroelectric power exploitation, reducing holdings from about 13k to below 4,000 by April 2026, withdrawing over 9,000 BTC. It remains the fifth-largest sovereign holder of Bitcoin worldwide.
2. MicroStrategy, a long-term active Bitcoin buyer, has recently spent $330 million to acquire more BTC. Its strategy of raising capital via preferred stock issuance could buy over 2,500 BTC. Meanwhile, mining company Core Scientific plans to liquidate nearly all its Bitcoin reserves by 2026 to fund AI transition.
5. Safety and Risks Related to Bitcoin
1. Bitcoin Depot ATM operator was hacked, with hackers gaining access and stealing about 50.9 BTC, worth approximately $3.66 million. The event did not affect user platforms or data; the company activated emergency responses and notified law enforcement.
2. Quantum computing expert John M. Martinis warns that Bitcoin faces potential quantum attacks; quantum computers could break Bitcoin’s elliptic curve encryption sooner than expected. Given Bitcoin’s decentralized network difficulty in upgrading, preparations against quantum threats should begin as early as possible.
3. South Korean exchange Bit mistakenly credited 620k won as 620k BTC during a promotion, resulting in 7 BTC worth about $490k that remain unrecovered. The exchange has initiated asset protection procedures and plans to sue users who have not returned the coins.
6. History of Bitcoin Development
The development history of Bitcoin from the genesis block in 2009 to mainstream institutional acceptance after 12 years records key milestones: from programmer experiments to becoming a global digital asset, including significant events such as the first transaction, mining progress, and institutional entry.