Bitcoin Holds $95K Amid Geopolitical Turmoil; Weekly Crypto Winners & Losers

The weekend saw Bitcoin’s price action grind to a halt, trading sideways around $95,000 with little movement over a 36-hour period. This period of consolidation follows a volatile week where the premier cryptocurrency surged from approximately $90,500 to a multi-month peak of $98,000, gaining roughly $8,000 before retracing slightly. The current price stability is particularly notable given the significant geopolitical developments unfolding since Friday. These include the deployment of troops by several EU nations to Greenland following remarks by former US President Donald Trump, and the subsequent announcement by the current POTUS of new 10% tariffs on those eight EU nations. Despite the emergency meeting called by Union lawmakers and threats to derail ongoing trade talks, Bitcoin’s price has remained unfazed, underscoring its perceived detachment from traditional financial and political shocks.

As of press time, Bitcoin maintains a formidable market capitalization of $1.9 trillion, with its dominance over the altcoin market holding steady at 57.3%. This commanding position highlights its role as the market’s anchor, even as the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, while dipping slightly in the past day, remains robust above the $3.3 trillion threshold. The asset’s ability to hold gains above $95,000 after such a strong weekly rally suggests underlying strength and a potential base for its next directional move.

The altcoin market largely mirrored Bitcoin’s weekend lethargy, with most larger-cap assets remaining sluggish. The exceptions were Tron (TRX), which emerged as the top daily gainer with a 3% surge to nearly $0.32, and HYPE, which also posted modest gains. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Monero (XMR) continued its dramatic correction, tumbling another 10% to well below $600, a stark reversal from its all-time high recorded just days prior. Other assets like CC, PUMP, and ZEC also found themselves in the red on a daily scale.

A broader weekly view, however, reveals a more nuanced and generally positive picture for several major altcoins. Ethereum (ETH) led the charge among the largest cryptocurrencies, soaring by 7% to trade above $3,300. Binance Coin (BNB), Solana (SOL), and Chainlink (LINK) also posted weekly gains, as did Tron (TRX). Interestingly, even the beleaguered Monero (XMR) managed to stay in the green on a weekly basis, indicating its sharp decline is a recent phenomenon following its peak. In contrast, Ripple (XRP), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Litecoin (LTC) were described as being ‘deep in the red’ for the week.

Beyond the usual suspects, the weekly performance chart was dominated by more volatile assets. Internet Computer (ICP) emerged as the clear standout winner, skyrocketing by 25% since the previous Sunday. This significant gain highlights the potential for outsized moves in the altcoin sector even during periods of broader consolidation for market leaders like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Conversely, Polygon (POL) found itself as the week’s biggest loser, shedding 18% of its value over the same seven-day timeframe. This divergence in performance between different layer-1 and layer-2 blockchain tokens illustrates the selective and rotational nature of capital within the crypto ecosystem. Investors are continually reassessing projects, leading to sharp re-ratings that can result in dramatic weekly swings, as seen with ICP’s surge and POL’s decline, irrespective of the overall market’s sideways trajectory.