---
title: "Trump’s Iran Warning Sends Bitcoin Tumbling Below $77K In Risk-Off Shock"
url: https://thecoingazette.com/trumps-iran-warning-sends-bitcoin-tumbling-below-77k-in-risk-off-shock/
date: 2026-05-18
modified: 2026-05-18
author: "Coin Gazette Editorial"
description: "Bitcoin’s bearish momentum hit hardest on the technical charts, with the cryptocurrency breaking below all major exponential moving averages by early Monday. Trading around $76,750, it sat well beneath the..."
categories:
  - "Bitcoin"
  - "Bitcoin News"
  - "btcusd"
  - "crypto"
  - "Crypto News"
  - "ETF"
  - "Iran"
tags:
  - "Bitcoin"
  - "Bitcoin News"
  - "btcusd"
  - "CPI"
  - "crypto"
  - "etf"
  - "Iran"
  - "oil"
  - "Strait of Hormuz"
  - "Tehran"
  - "Trump"
  - "truth social"
image: https://thecoingazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/trumps-iran-warning-sends-bitcoin-tumbling-below-77k-in-risk-off-shock.png
word_count: 445
---

# Trump’s Iran Warning Sends Bitcoin Tumbling Below $77K In Risk-Off Shock

Bitcoin’s bearish momentum hit hardest on the technical charts, with the cryptocurrency breaking below all major exponential moving averages by early Monday.

[Trading](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin) around $76,750, it sat well beneath the 20-hour EMA at $77,580, the 50-hour at $78,120, the 100-hour at $78,767, and the 200-hour at $79,350.

MACD indicators reinforced the downside pressure, with the line at negative 359, the signal at negative 243, and the histogram at negative 116.

## Geopolitical Shock Hits An Already Weakened Market

The slide began Sunday night after US President Donald Trump posted a pointed [warning](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/president-trump-threatens-iran-if-no-deal-is-reached-as-peace-talks-stall/) to Iran on Truth Social:

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump [wrote](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116590914302000241), following stalled diplomatic talks and a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

![](https://www.newsbtc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/a_860c0f.png?resize=674%2C330)

The post immediately rattled financial markets. Oil prices climbed. The US dollar strengthened. Investors pulled back from riskier assets — and Bitcoin was among the first to feel it.

By early Monday, Bitcoin was trading at roughly $76,780, down about 1.55% over the prior 24 hours, according to Coingecko data.

The day’s range ran from a low near $76,680 to a high of $78,530. Trading volume surpassed $24 billion. The drop erased approximately $33 billion from Bitcoin’s market capitalization in a matter of hours.

## ETF Outflows Had Already Set The Stage

The Iran [headlines](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/5/18/iran-war-live-trump-warns-clock-ticking-saudi-uae-report-drone-attacks) landed on a market that was already under pressure. US spot Bitcoin [ETFs](https://etfdb.com/themes/bitcoin-etfs/) recorded a record single-day net withdrawal of $635 million on May 13 — the largest outflow since late January.

That figure contributed to a total of $1 billion leaving ETF funds over the course of the week, snapping a six-week inflow streak. Additional redemptions followed in subsequent sessions, pointing to fading institutional appetite after a period of strong buying.

![](https://www.tradingview.com/x/owxEjvJE/)
Broader conditions made things worse. Sticky inflation figures — both PPI and CPI — weighed on sentiment. Rising Treasury yields added to the pressure. Thin weekend trading liquidity amplified every move.

Bitcoin had pushed toward the $80,000 to $82,000 range earlier in May, buoyed by optimism around the [Clarity Act](https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/us-senate-committee-weigh-crypto-bill-milestone-digital-assets-2026-05-14/). But repeated failures to break through resistance left the market exposed. Profit-taking set in.

Support And Resistance In Focus
Traders are now watching two key zones closely. Resistance sits between $79,000 and $82,000. Downside support is clustered around $74,000 to $76,000.

A relief bounce remains possible if geopolitical tensions ease — oversold conditions could attract buyers. But if the [US-Iran standoff](https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/may/18/us-israel-iran-lebanon-donald-trump-hormuz-oil-latest-news-updates) deepens or oil prices keep climbing, analysts say the selling pressure is unlikely to let up quickly.

*Featured image from Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images|Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images, chart from TradingView*