‘Crypto strikes back’: Bitcoin decouples from stocks to tap $74K as institutional demand returns despite energy-driven market turmoil

Mar 16, 2026, 11:02 GMT-44 min read

BTCUSD+0.94%

Bitcoin briefly climbed above $74,000 on Monday, extending weekly gains as institutional inflows and geopolitical tensions impact how the cryptocurrency trades alongside traditional assets.

The world’s largest digital asset has risen roughly 7% over the past week, according to The Block’s price page, while ether has outperformed with gains of about 13%.

Both moves occurred during a period of market turbulence driven by escalating conflict involving Iran and rising volatility in energy markets.

Spot Gold Holding $5,000 Could Be Key Near Term — Market Talk

Mar 16, 2026, 02:22 GMT-4Less than 1 min read

GOLD−0.36%

Spot gold prices holding above $5,000 a troy ounce could be key for its near-term price direction, says Pepperstone's Dilin Wu in a note. If the $5,000 level is decisively breached, the yellow metal's price could fall further to the $4,850-$4,900 support zone, the research strategist says. However, if gold stabilizes, the next resistance levels to watch would be $5,100 and $5,250, he says. A strong dollar and leveraged long liquidations are likely to pressure gold, while institutional and central bank buying provide support, he says. Escalating geopolitical tensions or a hawkish Federal Reserve could trigger greater volatility, he notes. Spot gold rises 0.3% to $5,032.24 a troy ounce. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

Gold Falls Again. Why Investors Are Turning to Other Iran War Havens. — Barrons.com

Mar 16, 2026, 09:42 GMT-41 min read

GOLD

By Alex Kozul-Wright

The price of gold fell early Monday but held onto the key $5,000 level, as the war in Iran entered its third week. For now tensions in the Middle East, are keeping markets on edge, though oil prices fell and stocks rose to the start the week.

Continuous gold futures fell by 0.6% to $5,033.40 an ounce, falling below the key $5,000 level at one point earlier in the day. Rising energy prices have fueled inflationary pressures and lowered the probability of an interest rate cut by the Fed. The yellow metal and interest rates typically move in opposite directions, as lower interest rates make nonyielding assets like gold more attractive, and vice versa.