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Trump Halts Strikes on Iran’s Power Plants for 5 Days, Sending Bitcoin and Stocks Soaring

co-written by newsrooms.ai23. March 2026, 13:12

After days of escalating rhetoric and growing tensions in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump on Monday surprisingly spoke of “very good and productive talks” with Iran on his platform. The announcement that attacks on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure would be suspended for five days immediately triggered significant gains in equity and crypto markets, while oil prices fell sharply.

Trump’s Announcement and the Diplomatic Background

Trump had previously threatened Iran with the destruction of its energy facilities should the country fail to open the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway of critical importance to global trade — fully and without threats. A 48-hour deadline expired in the early hours of Tuesday. Iran, for its part, had threatened a complete closure of the strait in the event of US strikes.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that the talks had been “detailed, in-depth, and constructive” and would continue this week. He said he had instructed the Department of Defense to suspend all planned military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. The suspension, however, is contingent on further progress in the negotiations.

Strong Reactions in Financial Markets

The announcement immediately triggered significant moves across global financial markets. Stock indices turned positive, crude oil prices fell sharply, and cryptocurrencies gained noticeably.

DAX: Jumped by up to 3.6 percent to 23,178 points
EuroStoxx 50: Temporary gain of more than three percent
Brent crude oil: Plunge of up to 14 percent to around $96 per barrel
WTI crude oil: Decline of around 11 percent to below $88 per barrel
Gold: Recovery after initial losses, last down around one percent at approximately $4,440 per ounce
US Dollar Index (DXY): Decline to 99.3
Ten-year US Treasuries: Yield fell by 100 basis points to 4.3 percent

Crypto Markets Post Significant Gains

The recovery was particularly pronounced in the crypto segment. Bitcoin rose from below $68,000 to briefly above $71,000, a gain of just under five percent within a matter of hours. Ethereum climbed around seven percent, rising from approximately $2,048 to around $2,196. Other digital assets such as Dogecoin, Solana, and Chainlink also recorded gains of around five percent.

Crypto-related equities likewise benefited. Galaxy Digital, Coinbase, and IREN each gained around two percent, while Strategy, the largest publicly listed Bitcoin holder, rose by more than three percent. In the commodities segment of crypto markets, significant dislocations occurred: tokenized Brent futures on the Hyperliquid platform recorded liquidations of approximately $62.4 million, of which $61.7 million were long positions.

Caution Despite Recovery: Markets Remain Tense

Despite the significant price gains, market indicators continue to reflect a cautious sentiment. Bitcoin options on the derivatives exchange Deribit showed put options trading at a premium of eight to ten volatility points over call options, indicating a persistently defensive positioning among traders. Analysts warn that underlying demand remains weak and that potential price gains could be limited by short covering.

Nic Puckrin, co-founder of Coin Bureau, commented on the recent moves by noting that Bitcoin had ultimately behaved as a risk asset during the crisis and was not a reliable geopolitical safe haven.

Five-Day Reprieve: No End to the Conflict

The five-day pause does not represent a resolution of the conflict. According to media reports, Iran continues to carry out strikes on targets in the Gulf region, and Israel would also need to agree to any comprehensive settlement. Markets are thus reacting to a temporary de-escalation, while the underlying geopolitical situation remains fundamentally fragile. Further rounds of negotiations have been announced for the current week.