BlockBeats News, March 20th, according to Decrypt, Bitcoin once again surged past $71,000, currently retracing to around $70,547. This rebound came after U.S. Treasury Secretary Benson proposed measures to address the surge in oil prices.
Benson stated that the U.S. is considering partially exempting Iranian oil tankers already at sea from sanctions and is further discussing the possibility of releasing strategic petroleum reserves. The day before, Brent crude oil prices briefly rose to $119 per barrel due to an attack on Persian Gulf energy facilities, causing Bitcoin to drop below $70,000 and triggering over $500 million in forced liquidations in the crypto market.
Nevertheless, market participants remain cautious. Analysts warn that if the key chokepoint of global energy supply, the Strait of Hormuz, remains blocked for an extended period, oil prices could surge further to $200 per barrel. GSR research analyst Carlos Guzman stated that Bitcoin’s price action is a second-order effect of rising energy prices: soaring energy prices may prompt the Fed to maintain high-interest rates for an extended period, and high rates are “generally adverse for the crypto market” as a low-rate environment typically steers investors toward risk assets.
