Digital asset prices showed signs of stabilization Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly extended a temporary pause on planned military strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure. The move created a brief window of calm in risk markets, following a sharp decline across major asset classes earlier in the day.
White House Declaration Alters Market Mood
President Trump announced via a Truth Social post that the White House would add 10 days to its current freeze on strikes targeting Iran’s energy facilities, after receiving a request from the Iranian government. Trump commented that diplomatic talks with Tehran are ongoing and making progress, and set a new deadline of April 6 for Iran to meet American demands related to its electrical grid.
Trump, the current U.S. President and influential figure in both domestic and international policy, offered the following in a social media update:
“As per Iranian Government request… I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days.” He noted that diplomatic negotiations are in progress and characterized the discussions as “going very well.”
This development comes as the White House navigates tensions with the Islamic Republic, a theocratic state in the Middle East with a history of disputes with the U.S. over nuclear, military, and regional security issues.
Crypto Markets And Alternative Assets Respond
Bitcoin’s price initially plunged more than 3% during Thursday’s session, before bouncing back by roughly 1% after Trump’s statement. The world’s largest cryptocurrency steadied above $69,000 late in the session as immediate concerns over military escalation faded.
Other major cryptocurrencies including Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano also partially reversed their declines, though prices for most remained 3% to 5% below their levels from 24 hours earlier. While the short-term rally provided relief, risk appetite across the broader digital asset market remained fragile amid lingering geopolitical uncertainty.
Equities Reverse Course But Stay Volatile
U.S. stock markets mirrored the volatility in crypto, with the tech-driven Nasdaq Composite dropping 2.4%. This brought the index about 10% off its January peak. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 later posted small early gains, climbing about 0.2%, while Dow Jones futures recorded a more modest advance of 0.1%.
Despite the bounce, traders continued to take a cautious stance, with skepticism towards a lasting diplomatic breakthrough keeping market nerves elevated. Signs of tension in fixed income and commodity markets further reinforced concerns of persistent risk.
Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes rose to as high as 4.43%—well above levels seen earlier in March. The move effectively erased trader expectations for near-term Federal Reserve interest rate reductions and instead shifted some positioning towards potential future hikes. Similar patterns appeared in Western European bond markets.
Commodities also factored into the volatility. Brent crude prices surged above $103 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate closing in on $96. Heightened fears that military action could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz drove gains in both benchmarks.
Heading into the weekend, uncertainty surrounding Iranian cooperation with U.S. demands and the outcome of ongoing negotiations continues to weigh on global markets.
