Bitcoin steadies above $65,000 on Iran-Oman deal talk

Bitcoin steadied above the psychologically important level, climbing to $65,209, while Nasdaq 100 index futures gained 0.45% on reports of a possible deal between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, CoinDesk reports. One important caveat: the agreement itself hasn't been signed yet. What's on the table is a preliminary, 60-day arrangement splitting shipping lanes — Iran would manage an inbound northern route, Oman an outbound southern one — not a full resolution of the underlying conflict.

The crisis around the strait has been running since late February 2026, when strikes on Iran effectively paralyzed shipping through the route — which normally carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, about a fifth of global supply. Over the following months the strait partially reopened (after a June memorandum), then closed again after attacks on commercial vessels in July, with the US reimposing its blockade in early August. A skeptical market narrative has already taken hold, with traders jokingly calling it the "NACHO" trade — Not A Chance Hormuz Opens — betting outright against a quick resolution.

CoinDesk itself, in a separate piece, notes that the broader rally of the past few days looks more tied to bitcoin ETF inflows and dollar weakness following a soft US jobs report than to the Hormuz headlines directly — meaning geopolitics likely added momentum without being the sole driver. Other numbers from the day: ether rose 0.86% to $1,925, the altcoin season index slipped to 37 out of 100 (from 51 a week earlier), bitcoin futures open interest fell below 750,000 BTC, and bitcoin's implied volatility (BVIV) dropped to a 2026 low of 35.59%. Monero stood out separately, rising 5% and briefly topping $400.

• BTC: $65,209 (+0.54% since midnight UTC), Nasdaq 100 futures: +0.45%
• The Iran-Oman deal is temporary, 60 days, splitting inbound and outbound shipping lanes
• Options flow is skewed toward calls at the $68,000 and $70,000 strikes

This same "risk assets plus Hormuz de-escalation hopes" pairing already showed up earlier this week: we previously reported that bitcoin climbed toward $64,500 on ETF inflows and early signs of a possible deal — today's move looks like a logical continuation of the same story, just at a new price level.

None of this should be read as personalized investment advice.