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Bitcoin Price Slips Below $100K, Hinting Oil-Led Risk-Off on Wall Street

Bitcoin fell below $100,000 on Sunday, its lowest point since May 8. XRP, ETH and SOL followed suit.

Updated Jun 22, 2025, 4:45 p.m. Published Jun 22, 2025, 2:42 p.m.
BTC's price. (CoinDesk)
BTC's price. (CoinDesk)

What to know:

  • Bitcoin fell below $100,000 on Sunday, its lowest point since May, amid concerns over Iran potentially blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for global oil trade, handling about 20% of the world's oil supply.
  • XRP slipped to its lowest since early April, with ether dropping to the levels seen in early May.

Bitcoin fell below $100,000 on Sunday, its lowest point since May, signalling risk aversion on Wall Street on Monday amid reports that Iran is leaning towards blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait, located between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, handling roughly 20% of the global oil trade.

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Reports of Iranian politicians mulling the closure of the Strait had observers worried about a significant spike in oil prices early Monday.

"After US strikes on Iran last night, 50+ large oil tankers were scrambling to leave the Strait of Hormuz. Markets have been closed, but an immediate drop in supply is expected to send prices higher. JP Morgan described this as their worst-case scenario in the Israel-Iran war," The Kobeissi Letter said on X.

According to JPMorgan, oil could surge to $120-$130 per barrel in that scenario. That could potentially lift the U.S. inflation rate to 5%, the highest since March 2023. At the time, the Federal Reserve was raising interest rates.

The losses in BTC weighed heavily over the broader crypto market, as usual, dragging major altcoins such as XRP, SOL, and ETH lower. The payments-focused XRP slipped 6% to $1.935, the lowest since April 10. Ethereum's ether token slipped to levels seen in early May, according to CoinDesk data.

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Bitcoin claws back to $70,000 on cooling inflation after $8.7 billion wipeout

Trading screen with price monitors and charts (Yashowardhan Singh/Unsplash)

Despite the price recovery, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains in “extreme fear,” indicating underlying market anxiety.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin’s price recovered above $70,000 after a drop, driven by cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data and increased risk appetite.
  • Despite the price recovery, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains in “extreme fear,” indicating underlying market anxiety.
  • $8.7 billion in bitcoin losses were realized in the last week, potentially signaling a capitulation event and a shift of supply to stronger hands.