Bitcoin stayed bid on Wednesday as both crypto markets and broader risk assets appeared to brush off renewed US-Iran tensions. BTC/USD held close to recent five-week highs, even as fresh threats from the US raised the stakes for Middle East escalation.
TradingView data showed BTC/USD down about 1% on the day, after earlier testing the $67,000 area. At the time of publication, it was around $65,975, while 24-hour volume topped $30.3 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Key takeaways
- BTC’s pullback remained limited despite renewed Middle East risk, suggesting markets are not yet pricing the conflict aggressively.
- US equity momentum appeared to absorb geopolitical headlines, with commentary warning crowded short positioning could amplify moves if conditions shift.
- Traders are watching $67,000 as a technical inflection point; a break could signal a bullish continuation pattern on daily timeframes.
- Some market participants frame Bitcoin as outperforming US stocks, using relative-strength divergence arguments.
Geopolitical headlines fail to move the broader tape
Crypto and US stocks followed Tuesday’s direction, when both asset classes largely ignored escalation in the Middle East—including direct strikes involving both Iran and the United States. On Wednesday, the latest flare-up similarly did not derail risk sentiment.
US president Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the US would target Iranian bridges and energy infrastructure if Iran fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The post stated that the US would “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” including those near or in Tehran.
While equity and crypto price action stayed comparatively steady, oil reacted more directly. WTI and Brent crude reached roughly $88.60 and $95.50, respectively—levels described as the highest since June 11.
Equities’ strength raises a “short squeeze” question
Beyond geopolitics, a separate dynamic in US markets drew attention: the level of short interest. Trading resource The Kobeissi Letter pointed to data indicating shorts are positioned near elevated levels, increasing the potential for sharper moves if sentiment turns.
According to The Kobeissi Letter, which cited Bloomberg data, short interest in the S&P 500 rose to about 3.7% of free float—near the top of the range in data going back to 2010. Short interest in the Russell 3000 was said to be around 6.1%, also near an all-time high. The account added that both measures have been steadily rising since the start of 2025.
“Both metrics have steadily increased since the start of 2025.”
Kobeissi’s broader message was that a “short squeeze” could punish late short positions if bullish momentum persists or accelerates.
Bitcoin’s $67,000 line in the sand
For Bitcoin, attention has centered on the $67,000 region after the asset pushed to five-week highs earlier in the session. As of publication, BTC was trading near $65,975, meaning the market was still deciding whether it could reclaim and hold above that psychological and technical level.
Trader Daan Crypto Trades said that breaking above $67,000 would create a daily bullish market structure break and establish a higher high. In his assessment, it would mark the first daily higher high since the move up in May.
“This is the first daily higher high since the push up in May.”
That framing matters for how traders interpret momentum: when resistance is treated as a structural level rather than a one-off spike, a decisive close above it can change the odds of continuation—and influence risk management around tight ranges.
Relative strength claims: BTC vs the S&P 500
Not all commentary focused on BTC’s absolute price action. Some market participants were comparing Bitcoin’s behavior against US stocks for signs of relative mispricing.
On X, an account using the name Osemka wrote that the weekly BTC-vs-S&P 500 relationship shows “strong weekly bullish divergence,” with Bitcoin “at the brink” of an RSI trend breakout. The post referenced the relative strength index (RSI) and claimed that the divergence lows are about five months apart, similar to patterns seen in 2022.
“Divergent lows are 5 months apart, similar to literal 2022 lows. $BTC should outperform the US stock market nicely for the foreseeable future from the most mis-priced territory in history, as the lows should already be in.”
The argument here is comparative rather than directional: it suggests Bitcoin may benefit even if US equities remain strong, based on how the two charts have been behaving relative to each other.
Meanwhile, Cointelegraph previously reported that the broader consensus among many observers still points to Bitcoin’s next bear-market low arriving later this year or in early 2027—an outlook that would make this phase more about positioning and risk management than chasing an immediate reversal.
What to watch next
Going forward, traders are likely to keep $67,000 in focus for confirmation on higher timeframes. At the same time, investors should watch whether geopolitical headlines continue to lift oil volatility while crypto and equities remain insulated—or whether markets eventually reprice risk if the conflict escalates further.
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