Trump’s Iran pledge underpins crypto gains as bitcoin bears face liquidation

Trump's Iran pledge — Bitcoin held near $82,600 on October 9, 2026, after former President Donald Trump said the U.S. would not strike Iran before the upcoming midterm elections, pulling the cryptocurrency off recent lows and shifting liquidation pressure onto bearish traders.

The geopolitical comment helped lift bitcoin from a low of roughly $80,400 seen the previous day. Ether slipped about 2% over 24 hours to around $2,500, still recovering from Thursday’s market flush where ether bets were liquidated at a rate six times that of bitcoin relative to its market value.

Solana’s SOL was the laggard among major cryptocurrencies, losing nearly 4% over the same period to around $110. XRP and Hyperliquid’s HYPE were little changed, while the broader CoinDesk 20 index slipped about 2%.

The market dip tested key support levels and triggered significant liquidations, particularly in ether positions, before the Trump remarks provided a stabilizing catalyst for bitcoin.