The pattern of weekend panics followed by Monday recoveries has become typical in 2026, with the recent events adhering to this trend. Bitcoin, which dropped about 4% from late Saturday night into early Monday morning due to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s departure from Pakistan without securing an Iran peace deal and President Trump’s blockade order on the Strait of Hormuz, regained its losses during Monday’s trading in the U.S.
Closing at $73,400 as U.S. stocks wrapped up for the day, bitcoin saw a rise of over 3% within the last 24 hours. Other cryptocurrencies like Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and XRP also experienced gains, albeit marginally less than Bitcoin. Among crypto-related stocks, Circle (CRCL) led with an 11% increase, followed by Gemini (GEMI) at 9%, and both MARA Holdings (MARA) and Bullish (BLSH) climbing over 8%.
In traditional markets, the Nasdaq ended up 1.2%, while WTI crude oil dropped back to $98 per barrel after reaching a peak of $105 on Sunday. Shifting focus from Middle Eastern tensions, Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) continues its aggressive bitcoin acquisition strategy, having recently purchased 13,927 BTC worth $1 billion without issuing common stock but utilizing $1 billion in STRC preferred stock with an 11.5% yield.
The trading activity on Monday for STRC, which saw a record volume of $770 million just before 3 pm ET, indicates that further significant bitcoin purchases may occur this week. Given that the stock remains at par value, it suggests Strategy is planning substantial additional issuance, paving the way for more large-scale bitcoin acquisitions.