Leading cryptocurrencies stagnated, while stocks closed lower on Monday after President Donald Trump hinted at a “large-scale” assault on Iran.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Cryptocurrency</th><th>24-Hour Gains +/-</th><th>Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. EDT)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)</td><td>-0.05%</td><td>$76,797.74 </td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)                </td><td>+0.83%</td><td>$2,127.26</td></tr><tr><td>XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                         </td><td>-0.07%</td><td>$1.38</td></tr><tr><td>Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                         </td><td>+0.37%</td><td>$85.10</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)             </td><td>-1.81%</td><td>$0.1043</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2>Crypto Goes Into ‘Extreme Fear’</h2>



Bitcoin witnessed volatile trading between $76,000 and $77,000, with volumes soaring 76% over the past 24 hours.  Ethereum also experienced rapid swings between $2,078 and $2,155, while Dogecoin fell nearly 2%.



Cryptocurrency-related stocks slipped, with Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc. (NYSE:BMNR) closing down 6.08% and 5.74%, respectively.



Over $300 million was liquidated in the past 24 hours, with long position traders again taking the majority of the losses, according to Coinglass data.



Bitcoin's open interest rose 1.07% over the last 24 hours. A rise in open interest while prices trade sideways typically indicates a potential price breakout. 



The market slipped into &#34;Extreme Fear,&#34; according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24 Hours) 



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency (Market Cap&gt;$100 M)</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. EDT)</td></tr><tr><td>OriginTrail (TRAC)      </td><td>+19.77%</td><td>    $0.3874</td></tr><tr><td>Centrifuge (CFG)                   </td><td>+16.54%</td><td>    $0.2976</td></tr><tr><td>Injective (INJ)            </td><td>+14.10%</td><td>    $5.20</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.56 trillion, following a slight increase of 0.03% over the last 24 hours.



<div>




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</div>


<h2>Stocks Fall As Hostilities Resume</h2>



Major indexes started the week in the red. The S&amp;P 500 dipped 0.07% to end at 7,403.05 , while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite slid 0.51% to close at 26,090.73 



The Dow Jones Industrial Average was the silver lining, rallying 159.95 points, or 0.32%, to settle at 49,686.12. 



War developments kept investors on edge as Trump said in a Truth social post that he had delayed an attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the behest of Gulf leaders.



Trump said he has directed the troops to be prepared for a &#34;full, large scale assault&#34; if an &#34;acceptable deal is not reached.&#34;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img width="760" height="642" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/18214415/image-481.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/18214415/image-481.png"/></figure>







<h2>Where Does BTC’s Bottom Lie?</h2>



On-chain analytics firm Santiment pointed to a healthy whale accumulation trend for Bitcoin, with wallets holding at least 100 BTC up 11.2% from a year ago.



&#34;Historically, rising whale wallet counts are viewed as a sign that key stakeholders still have confidence in Bitcoin's future value and scarcity,&#34; Santiment stated.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div>
<blockquote>📈 The amount of wallets holding at least 100 Bitcoin has risen to 20,229. This is a +11.2% increase compared to the 18,191 wallets holding at least this level a year ago. 🐳 This is a significant long-term trend because wallets of at least this size (currently ~$7.7M or more)… pic.twitter.com/FAlHLnD71K— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) May 18, 2026</blockquote>
</div></figure>



CryptoQuant, another popular analytics platform, projected $65,900–$70,500 as the price range for this cycle’s bottom, citing the Bitcoin HODL Waves indicator.



The indicator helps identify market peaks and bottoms by examining how long various cohorts keep their supply. 



&#34;If $70,500 holds, we'll slowly grind out a bottom in the upper range. If it breaks, we'll need to re-evaluate lower support structures,&#34; CryptoQuant added.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div>
<blockquote>Reading the Bitcoin Bottom via HODL Waves &#34;Our predicted price range for this cycle's bottom is $65.9K–$70.5K. If $70.5K holds, we'll slowly grind out a bottom in the upper range.&#34; – By Sunny Mom Complete analysis ⤵️https://t.co/rnE3CrI990 pic.twitter.com/bUebkCmoRw— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) May 18, 2026</blockquote>
</div></figure>



<div>




Read Also:

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</div>


Image via Shutterstock/ Robert V Schwemmer

COIN

RIOT

IBIT

Leading cryptocurrencies remained stagnant, with Bitcoin trading at $76,797.74, while Dogecoin fell by 1.81%. The market is experiencing 'Extreme Fear' as geopolitical tensions rise, particularly regarding Iran. Analysts suggest Bitcoin's price could stabilize between $65,900 and $70,500, with a significant increase in whale wallets indicating confidence in Bitcoin's future. The global cryptocurrency market cap is $2.56 trillion, reflecting a slight increase of 0.03%. Major stock indexes also closed lower amid ongoing war rhetoric from President Trump.

- Leading cryptocurrencies showed little movement while stocks fell on Monday amidst geopolitical tensions following President Trump's remarks about Iran.  
- Bitcoin fluctuated between $76,000 and $77,000, with heightened trading volumes, while Ethereum also displayed volatility, and Dogecoin dropped nearly 2%.  
- Major stock indexes experienced declines, and over $300 million in liquidations occurred in the cryptocurrency market, indicating ongoing investor caution as the market transitioned into "Extreme Fear."

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Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP Flat, While Dogecoin Slides  As Trump Steps Up War Rhetoric : Analyst Flags Significance Of $70,500 For BTC