Bitcoin rose above $90,000 on Monday amid fresh doubts over a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement, sending oil prices higher and boosting risk appetite in financial markets. The cryptocurrencyโs gain of over 2% provided reassurance to investors, while other major digital assets also advanced. Ether and Solana climbed more than 3%, reflecting broader optimism in the crypto market.
Energy Markets React To Russia-Ukraine Attacks
This pattern was reflected in the traditional energy markets with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gaining 1% to reach $57.24 per barrel and Brent crude gaining 0.8% to reach $60.81 per barrel. Analysts explain the gains by new geopolitical tensions, after both Russia and Ukraine attacked critical energy infrastructure, reducing the prospects of a quick peace settlement.
On Sunday, Russia attacked the Kherson Combined Heat and Power Plant, which is controlled by the Naftogaz of Ukraine, and left it largely damaged, a site that serves tens of thousands of citizens with heating. Ukraine in turn responded by attacking the Russian oil refinery at Syzran in Samara, destroying its main oil processing facility. Such attacks highlight the strategic value of energy resources in the crisis and complicate the work of diplomats.
In spite of these failures, United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had recently reported progress on a 20-point peace plan. However, analysts note that the recent attacks may come to halt the talks and increase the duration of conflict, which is already in the fourth year. The current war conflict has already led to inflation in the world market, shaken the energy markets, and contributed to volatility in the traditional and digital markets.
Asian Markets Trade Cautiously Amid Holidays
Asian markets were cautious traded on Monday, and the trading volumes were low due to year-end holidays. The KOSPI index of South Korea was a very good exception with 1.7% positive gains on the index pushed by semiconductor and technology stocks. Other regional markets were still cautious and this is the reason why they showed such caution among investors because of the geopolitical uncertainty.
Market observers also point out that the upswing in Bitcoin could also be a hedge against geopolitical risk, as market participants seek to flee to the crypto-coin against possible shocks in conventional financial and commodity markets. Oil and cryptocurrency flows this week underline the degree of interdependence between energy security situation in the world and financial markets in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
