Bitcoin prices drop amid uncertainties in Ukraine — Crypto moves

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded lower on Monday, dropping 2.39 percent to $40,887.62 as of 8:00 a.m. Riyadh time. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 21 March 2022
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Bitcoin prices drop amid uncertainties in Ukraine — Crypto moves

DUBAI: Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded lower on Monday, dropping 2.39 percent to $40,887.62 as of 8:00 a.m. Riyadh time.

Ether, the second most traded cryptocurrency, was priced at $2,847.05, down 2.55 percent, according to data from Coindesk.

The Ukraine war influence

Cryptocurrencies have played a crucial role in the war in Ukraine, helping the government raise millions of dollars to fight against Russian aggression.

Ukrainian officials began posting addresses for two crypto wallets on their Twitter accounts at the beginning of the conflict, giving donors a clear and direct address to which to send contributions.

Four days into the invasion, the wallets attracted more than $10.2 million.

Over $100 million worth of crypto has been raised since then, with 60 percent of donations going to the “Crypto Fund for Ukraine” run by Michael Chobanian, founder of the Ukrainian crypto exchange Kuna.

Euroclear embraces tokenized payment system

Belgium-based securities settlement house Euroclear has bought a small stake in a three-year-old bank consortium Fnality that is building a payment system for tokenized assets.

The objective was to settle tokenized assets, or digital securities, against digital cash on distributed ledger technology, or DLT, in a faster and more efficient way, the company said.

 

(With inputs from Reuters)


Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

Updated 27 December 2025
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Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

  • Spot silver touched an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits
  • Spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, while palladium surged 14 percent to $1,927.81, its highest level in over 3 years

Silver breached the $77 mark for the first time on Friday, while gold and platinum hit record highs, buoyed by expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts and geopolitical tensions that fueled safe-haven demand.

Spot silver jumped 7.5% to $77.30 per ounce, as of 1:53 p.m. ET (1853 GMT), after touching an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits, its designation ‌as a US ‌critical mineral, and strong investment inflows.

Spot gold ‌was ⁠up ​1.2% at $4,531.41 ‌per ounce, after hitting a record $4,549.71 earlier. US gold futures for February delivery settled 1.1% higher at $4,552.70.

“Expectations for further Fed easing in 2026, a weak dollar and heightened geopolitical tensions are driving volatility in thin markets. While there is some risk of profit-taking before the year-end, the trend remains strong,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist ⁠at Zaner Metals.

Markets are anticipating two rate cuts in 2026, with the first likely ‌around mid-year amid speculation that US President Donald ‍Trump could name a dovish ‍Fed chair, reinforcing expectations for a more accommodative monetary stance.

The US ‍dollar index was on track for a weekly decline, enhancing the appeal of dollar-priced gold for overseas buyers.

On the geopolitical front, the US carried out airstrikes against Daesh militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump said on Thursday.

“$80 in ​silver is within reach by year-end. For gold, the next objective is $4,686.61, with $5,000 likely in the first half of next ⁠year,” Grant added.

Gold remains poised for its strongest annual gain since 1979, underpinned by Fed policy easing, central bank purchases, ETF inflows, and ongoing de-dollarization trends.

On the physical demand side, gold discounts in India widened to their highest in more than six months this week as a relentless price rally curbed retail buying, while discounts in China narrowed sharply from last week’s five-year highs.

Elsewhere, spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, having earlier hit a record high of $2,454.12 while palladium surged 14% to $1,927.81, its highest level in more than three years.

All precious ‌metals logged weekly gains, with platinum recording its strongest weekly rise on record.