Bitcoin jumps to $70,800 as oil retreats; ether and XRP lag

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bitcoin jumps to $70,800 as oil retreats; ether and XRP lag Oil prices slipped as major economies announced joint efforts to stabilize energy markets. By Omkar Godbole Mar 20, 2026, 5:43 a.m. Make us preferred on Google BTC's price bounce. (CoinDesk) What to know : Bitcoin leads the crypto market bounce as oil prices drop. Major economies announced joint efforts to stabilize energy markets. Uncertainty still persists as the Middle East conflict continues and the S&P 500 dips below key average. Bitcoin BTC $ 70,672.98 and the wider crypto market saw a notable price bounce on Friday after major economies announced joint efforts to boost oil supplies through the now-disrupted Strait of Hormuz. BTC, the largest cryptocurrency, jumped to $70,800, up more than 1% on the day, extending its recovery from overnight lows under $68,900, according to CoinDesk data. Other major coins, including ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), and solana (SOL), saw smaller gains of less than 1%, lagging behind bitcoin. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell nearly 2% to $93.80, alongside similar losses in Brent, after Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan said they would take steps to stabilize energy markets and join collaborative efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In a joint statement issued by the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, leaders of these nations condemned the attacks by Iran and urged it to halt its actions immediately. On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. may soon remove sanctions from Iranian oil tankers and could release crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. With the Federal Reserve expressing heightened uncertainty on growth and inflation outlooks earlier this week, traders have scaled back expectations for Fed rate cuts. That has left crypto and traditional risk assets largely at the mercy of oil price swings. The latest drop in oil, though positive, doesn’t end the uncertainty, as military conflict in the Middle East continues. WTI remains near recent support at $92.00, still significantly above pre-war valuations. "For now, WTI crude continues to hold what appears to be an increasingly important area of support. That level aligns well with prior highs and the short-term trend. As long as oil holds that support and the trend continues higher, it will likely maintain an upward bias," Mott Capital Management said in an email to its subscribers. The firm added that positioning in the oil options market suggests higher levels are possible. Another market that bitcoin traders might want to watch is the S&P 500, Wall Street’s benchmark equity index. The index closed below its pivotal 200-day simple moving average (SMA) on Thursday – the first such instance since May last year – signaling a bearish shift in momentum. A potential strengthening of risk aversion in stocks could spill over into crypto and the wider financial markets. Bitcoin News XRP News Ethereum News More For You Morgan Stanley sets MSBT ticker and $1 million seed capital for bitcoin ETF By Omkar Godbole 38 minutes ago Morgan Stanley has filed to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF with the ticker MSBT and a $1 million seed at debut. What to know : Morgan Stanley’s bitcoin ETF plans to trade under the ticker MSBT. The fund includes ia $1 million seed investment. Read full story Latest Crypto News Morgan Stanley sets MSBT ticker and $1 million seed capital for bitcoin ETF 38 minutes ago Crypto Clarity Act inches toward Senate hearing as lawmakers weigh legislative trades 7 hours ago DeFi risk management giant Gauntlet sees $380 million exit as OKX crypto campaign ends 9 hours ago Crypto markets – and the American people – deserve clarity 9 hours ago Appeals court clears way for Nevada to temporarily ban prediction market Kalshi 9 hours ago Coinbase's bitcoin yield fund goes onchain with Apex's tokenization push 9 hours ago Top Stories Bitcoin holds $69,000 as gold tumbles and oil spikes, but one analyst says stay on sidelines 12 hours ago Wall Street heavyweight Cantor among investment banks pitching FalconX for its potential IPO 10 hours ago Quadruple witching arrives tomorrow as markets brace for potential bitcoin volatility 13 hours ago As crypto trading platforms race to deploy AI agents, here's what a Nasdaq executive is seeing 13 hours ago Bitcoin $20,000 put option is third most popular strike ahead of quarterly expiry 15 hours ago OpenClaw developers targeted in GitHub phishing scam offering fake token airdrops 13 hours ago In this article BTC BTC $ 70,672.98 ◢ 0.19 %