Bitcoin prices took a sharp dive over the weekend in response to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The news of a major Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel triggered a sell-off, with Bitcoin dropping as much as 8% on Saturday evening.
This marked the steepest decline for Bitcoin in over a year. Other digital currencies like Ethereum also experienced heavy selling, with some dropping by up to 10%.
However, Bitcoin prices began to recover on Sunday morning, climbing back above $64,000. This suggests a possible initial panic reaction by investors, followed by a wait-and-see approach as the situation unfolds.
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The attack itself was the first direct strike from Iranian territory on Israel. Israel reported successfully intercepting most of the incoming threats, while Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike that killed Iranian officials in Syria.
The geopolitical uncertainty caused by the attack impacted not just cryptocurrencies, but also the Iranian Rial which fell to a record low on the unofficial market.