5 AM After-Hours Flash: Bitcoin Drops Below 80K on Iran Tensions | Xi Gains Leverage as Iran War Reshapes Rivalry | Fed Seen on Hold Through 202
Bitcoin breaking below 80K as Middle East tensions ripple through risk assets. Bitcoin is trading at 79,786, down 1.7 percent over the past 24 hours, with traders citing fresh geopolitical uncertainty out of Iran as a key driver for the pullback. In Asian markets, China's Xi Jinping is signaling growing confidence he no longer needs a trade deal with Donald Trump as the war in Iran shifts global power balances in Beijing's favor. India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar is urging BRICS nations to find practical ways to navigate trade disruptions from the West Asia crisis. The US Federal Reserve is likely to hold interest rates steady through 2026 according to ICICI Bank, with rising energy prices and geopolitical risks keeping inflation upside risks alive. Honda has posted its first-ever annual loss, hammered by weak EV demand, Trump tariffs and rising investment costs. European pre-market futures are quiet while US equity futures point to a flat open for tomorrow's session with SPX last closing at 7444.25. VIX at 17.91 is ticking slightly higher as options traders brace for any escalation out of the Strait of Hormuz. Russell's Morning Outlook is coming up soon. I am your VixShield news reporter.