Bitcoin pares gains after briefly topping $76k amid broader risk rally

Investing.com-- Bitcoin pared some gains on Tuesday to slip back below $75,000, but crypto prices remained largely higher as hopes of more ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran boosted risk appetite. A much better-than-feared U.S. producer inflation report also helped the mood.

At 17:35 ET (21:35 ET), the world’s largest cryptocurrency was up 1.2% to $74,127.8. It had earlier hit a one-month high at $76,043.7 in the session. 

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Bitcoin rises amid broader risk-on mood

The rally tracked a broader rebound in global risk assets, with Wall Street posting strong gains on Monday. The S&P 500 rose more than 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced as investors piled into technology stocks on sustained optimism around artificial intelligence demand. The market indices also closed higher on Tuesday.

Sentiment in crypto markets was supported by a pullback in oil prices, which slipped below $100 a barrel after recent spikes, boosting appetite for riskier assets.

Markets also took some comfort from signs that diplomatic channels between the U.S. and Iran remain open, even after weekend talks failed to produce a breakthrough.

Reports indicated that Washington and Tehran are considering a second round of face-to-face talks in the coming days, aimed at extending a fragile ceasefire before it expires. Trump on Tuesday told the New York Post that more talks "could be happening over the next two days" in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, a U.S. blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz entered a second day. The U.S. Central Command said in the first 24 hours of the blockade, no ships had made it past. The U.S. military has imposed the blockade on vessels entering and departing Iranian ports.

U.S. producer prices rise less than feared in March

Inflation data shared the spotlight with Middle East tensions on Tuesday, offering investors some relief after a turbulent stretch.

The producer price index rose 0.5% in March from the prior month and 4.0% from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, coming in below consensus forecasts of 1.1% and 4.6%, respectively. Core PPI, which strips out food and energy, climbed 0.1% month-on-month and 3.8% year-on-year.

The 12-month headline gain was the largest since February 2023, driven chiefly by an 8.5% monthly surge in energy prices. The pattern echoed March consumer price index figures released last Friday, where soaring oil costs tied to the Iran conflict pushed up headline readings while core measures remained more contained.

Deutsche Boerse takes $200 million stake in crypto exchange Kraken’s parent

German exchange operator Deutsche Boerse has invested $200 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto trading platform Kraken.

The investment was made through a secondary share purchase, giving Deutsche Boerse a 1.5 percent fully diluted stake in the company, the exchange operator said in a statement.

Deutsche Boerse said the deal deepens a strategic partnership between the two firms announced in December 2025, aimed at bridging traditional financial markets with the digital asset economy.

"Spanning trading, custody, settlement, collateral management, and tokenized assets, the partnership will unlock a new range of enhanced products and services that deliver frictionless access to both ecosystems, creating a holistic experience for institutional clients," the group wrote. 

Strategy acquires 13,927 BTC using preferred stock proceeds

Strategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR) said on Monday it bought 13,927 bitcoins for about $1.0 billion last week, funded in part through sales of its preferred shares, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company said it sold about 10.03 million shares of its variable-rate Series A perpetual preferred stock, raising roughly $1.0 billion in net proceeds. The funds were used to purchase Bitcoin at an average price of about $71,902 per token.

Following the acquisition, Strategy’s total holdings rose to 780,897 BTC, purchased at an aggregate cost of $59.02 billion, the filing showed.

Crypto price today: altcoins jump, Ether surges 7%

Most altcoins had pared their gains on Tuesday. 

World no.2 crypto Ethereum was last up 2.6% to $2,319.42, while no.3 crypto XRP rose 0.7% to $1.3604.

Solana had reversed course and was down 0.3%, while Cardano added 0.4%.

Among meme tokens, Dogecoin advanced 0.5%.

Ayushman Ojha and Vahid Karaahmetovic contributed to this article