The 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran is officially over, at least according to President Donald Trump. His declaration, made around July 8, marked a hard pivot from a mediated pause that had briefly calmed one of the most volatile geopolitical flashpoints of 2026 back into active military engagement, and markets felt it immediately.
Bitcoin, which had climbed above $72K earlier in the year partly on relief that a US-Iran deal was holding, reversed course sharply, falling toward and below the $60K level as the ceasefire collapsed. That is a drop of more than 16% from its 2026 peak.
What actually happened
The ceasefire was part of a broader series of mediated pauses that had been brokered in the earlier months of 2026, aimed at containing a conflict centered on Iranian missile capabilities, nuclear proliferation concerns, and, critically, strategic control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz matters enormously. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through that narrow chokepoint.
