Bitcoin fell back to around $76,000 as Middle East volatility rattled markets, CoinDesk reported. The drop set off one of the biggest liquidation waves since 2026: about 168,336 traders were wiped out for a combined $762 million, including roughly $593 million in short-position liquidations—nearly three quarters of the total. Earlier, Iran's opening of the Strait of Hormuz had lifted risk assets and pushed Bitcoin above $78,000. After the waterway was remilitarized, risk-off positioning intensified and the price pulled back.

Huo Xing Finance cited Coinglass data showing whale positions on the Hyperliquid platform at $3.678 billion. Long positions total $1.855 billion, accounting for 50.44% of exposure, while shorts stand at $1.823 billion, or 49.56%. Unrealized P&L is $17.4291 million on longs and $42.676 million on shorts. One whale wallet, 0x0ddf..02, opened a 3x full-position BTC short at $67,992.10 and is currently sitting on $8.1779 million in unrealized profit.

Bitcoin retreated to around $76,000 as renewed Middle East tensions drove a fresh bout of risk-off trading. The latest swing followed a rapid reversal tied to the Strait of Hormuz: Iran's decision to reopen the passage initially sparked a risk-asset rally and a sharp short squeeze, but sentiment flipped after the waterway was closed again. The move triggered one of the largest liquidation waves since 2026. Roughly 168,336 traders were liquidated for a combined $762 million, with short positions accounting for about $593 million—nearly three-quarters of the total. During the squeeze, oil prices briefly fell nearly 10%, helping Bitcoin punch through a key resistance zone between $76,000 and $78,000. Prices later pulled back as the strait returned to military control and several tankers reportedly turned around. Structurally, the rally was fueled by persistently negative funding rates, which kept shorts paying longs and set the stage for a squeeze. Even with the near-term pullback, Bitcoin remains up about 4.5% on the week, while Ethereum has held up better. Traders are now watching $76,000 as the key support. A weekly close above that level would help preserve the breakout setup; a break below could send Bitcoin back into the trading range in place since March. (CoinDesk)

Whale-tracking service @whale_alert reported that an unidentified wallet moved 3,000 BTC to the OKX exchange today. Based on prices at the time, the transfer was valued at about $231.5 million. Market watchers widely interpret the deposit as a potential prelude to selling.

Morgan Stanley has continued to ramp up its Bitcoin exposure, adding 177.76 BTC worth $13.75 million on April 18, according to Arkham. The purchase lifts the bank's total holdings to 1,347.54 BTC, valued at $103.94 million. The steady accumulation underscores a growing institutional vote of confidence in crypto. Historically, supportive positioning from large market participants has tended to coincide with stronger Bitcoin price performance. Institutional interest is also showing up in U.S. market indicators. CryptoQuant data shows the Coinbase Premium Index has stayed positive for 10 consecutive days, the longest streak year-to-date. The previous comparable run occurred in December 2025, when Bitcoin held firmly above $90,000. Spot Bitcoin ETFs are reinforcing that trend. Sosovalue data indicates net inflows have remained positive for four straight days. On April 18, spot ETF inflows jumped to a three-month high of $663.9 million. Against that backdrop, Morgan Stanley's new spot Bitcoin ETF, MSBT, has posted strong early demand. Inflows reached $102 million in its first week of trading, pushing total assets above $140 million. The bank characterized the debut as its most successful ETF launch to date. Bitcoin prices have responded alongside the uptick in institutional participation. BTC has remained in an uptrend over the past two weeks and recently touched a two-month high of $78,317 before easing back. At the time of writing, Bitcoin traded at $77,257, up 3.15% on the day. Technical signals have improved as well, with BTC reclaiming the 20-, 50-, and 100-day EMAs. The Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) rose to 70, supporting the bullish momentum. If U.S.-led institutional demand persists, BTC could break above $80,000 and target $82,938. If the move stalls, support is seen around $72,584. Final Summary: Morgan Stanley bought 177.76 BTC worth $13.75 million, taking total holdings to 1,347.54 BTC valued at $103.94 million. MSBT drew more than $102 million in first-week inflows, lifting assets to over $140 million.

ChainCatcher reports that spot Bitcoin ETFs logged about $996 million in net inflows last week, their strongest weekly tally in three months and a sign of renewed risk appetite. Inflows picked up into week-end: Friday alone brought in $664 million, the largest daily gain of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday added $412 million and $186 million, respectively. Thursday cooled to $26 million, while Monday saw roughly $291 million in net outflows. By Friday, spot Bitcoin ETF assets under management topped $101 billion, with daily trading volume close to $4.8 billion. Analysts linked the inflows largely to easing geopolitical concerns, citing de-escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. That shift reduced demand for traditional safe havens such as the U.S. dollar and steered capital back toward risk assets including cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin remains range-bound, with resistance around $75,000 and support near $72,000. The market is in a "liquidity reallocation" phase and has yet to form a clear directional trend.

Blockchain analytics firm Arkham reported it has identified the on-chain wallet address associated with Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, Morgan Stanley's spot Bitcoin ETF. The data indicates the fund holds 1,348 BTC, worth about $104 million.

Strategy shares jumped after signs of easing tensions in the Middle East helped spark a Bitcoin rally, pushing the company's crypto stockpile back above its cost basis.

Huo Xing Finance said April 18 that CryptoQuant analyst @AxelAdlerJr attributed Bitcoin's overnight rebound from $74,000 to $78,000 to developments involving the U.S. and Iran, calling the move a textbook short squeeze. At 21:00, the market saw a peak of $357 million in short-position liquidations within an hour. @AxelAdlerJr said the advance was driven less by new demand than by forced closing of short bets. "That matters because short squeezes can push prices up very quickly, but on their own they don't confirm sustainable spot demand," he said.