By Alex Kozul-Wright
Bitcoin was down slightly early Wednesday, but still holding above $70,000.
Two factors were pulling cryptos in different directions -- reports that Washington delivered a ceasefire plan to Tehran gave markets some optimism and lifted risk assets, but the latest twist in the Clarity Act, legislation seeking to regulate digital currencies, was a drag.
The price of Bitcoin rose 2% over the past 24 hours to $71,381, according to CoindDesk data. Ethereum -- the world's second largest cryptocurrency -- increased by 0.7%, while popular alt-coin XRP fell by 0.5%.
The U.S. peace proposal, which includes a 15-point plan to end the war, outlines restrictions on Iran's nuclear ambitions, according to the Wall Street Journal. For it's part, Iran's new leadership is thought to be seeking reparations for more than three weeks of U.S. attacks.
Elsewhere, digital traders learned Tuesday about a potential compromise to be included in the key market bill that would ban rewards on accounts for stablecoins -- types of crypto tokens typically pegged to the U.S. dollar.
A provision, intended for the Clarity Act, would prohibit crypto platforms from offering yield on customers' stablecoin holdings which resemble bank deposits, according to an email from the Blockchain Association and reviewed by Barron's.
Tuesday's announcement may pose a risk for the future of the Clarity Act. Unless the bill moves forward soon, the Senate and House of Representatives may run out of time to ratify the bill before political campaigning intensifies ahead of the November midterms.
As such, cryptocurrencies were caught between a rock and a hard place early Wednesday. In the near term, volatility looks set to remain a persistent feature of digital asset trading.
Write to Alex Kozul-Wright at alexander.kozul-wright@barrons.com
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
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March 25, 2026 10:25 ET (14:25 GMT)
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