Green Monday: Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP Wake Up From Their Crypto Nap

Crypto markets are flashing green on Monday, and Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP are all having a productive Monday morning after what can only be described as an extended crypto nap. Bitcoin is lounging around $69,137, up a modest 3% in 24 hours. Ethereum has dragged itself off the couch to $2,131, gaining nearly 4%. XRP is sitting comfortably near $1.33, up roughly 2% on the day—because even XRP deserves a good day occasionally.

The unlikely hero here appears to be geopolitics. Reports surfaced Monday that the United States and Iran are reportedly kicking tires on a 45-day ceasefire deal that could lead to a permanent end to hostilities. Regional peacekeepers apparently proposed a two-phase plan as a Tuesday deadline looms. This is the fifth deadline in 17 days, because nothing says "let's wrap this up" like repeatedly extending the deadline. Previous extensions on March 21, March 23, March 26 and April 4 each delivered brief market rallies before tensions came crawling back, like that friend who keeps promising to leave the party.

Crypto traders are watching to see whether this round delivers an actual resolution or just another plot twist. President Trump threw more colour into the narrative on Monday, noting he ordered strikes on Iranian bridges after Iran requested a five-day delay in direct negotiations. "I felt they were not being serious," he said—which, fair enough, asking for five days when you've got a Tuesday deadline is the diplomatic equivalent of asking your boss for a three-day extension on a project due tomorrow.

Meanwhile, institutional demand hasn't gotten the memo that markets are supposed to be boring right now. Spot Bitcoin ETFs gulped down approximately 50,000 BTC in March, marking the highest monthly appetite since October 2025. Strategy also quietly stacked another 44,000 BTC over the same period. Morgan Stanley, never one to miss a bull run, also secured regulatory approval for a spot Bitcoin ETF this week, giving roughly 16,000 financial advisors access to a combined $6.2 trillion in assets—which is basically enough to buy every NFT ever minted twice.

Markets still have several landmines to dodge before the week wraps up, including Fed meeting minutes dropping Wednesday, February PCE inflation data hitting Thursday, and whatever fresh drama emerges from the Iran situation. Any one of these could pivot sentiment on a dime—because in crypto, it always does.