Cryptocurrency News: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 — Bitcoin Struggles for $63,000 Amid Iran De-escalation and Trust Crisis in Hardware Wallets
The cryptocurrency market greets Tuesday, August 4, 2026, in a state of fragile equilibrium. The Bitcoin price oscillates in the range of $62,500–$63,500; even the news of the United States suspending planned strikes against Iran failed to provide sustained momentum to the prices. Investor sentiment is under pressure from the ongoing incident involving Coldcard hardware wallets entering its fifth day, reduced prospects for the adoption of key US legislation on digital asset regulation, and a cautious stance from institutional capital. We break down the key cryptocurrency news, the latest quotes of the top 10 digital assets, and pivotal events that will shape market dynamics this week.
Key Highlights for Tuesday Morning
- Bitcoin is trading near $63,000; on Monday, the price opened at $63,497 but fell back to $62,650 by midday.
- The total market capitalization for cryptocurrencies stands at approximately $2.25 trillion; Bitcoin dominance is around 56%, while Ethereum's is about 10%.
- The US announced a pause in the planned airstrikes against Iran—a geopolitical de-escalation that the market greeted with restraint.
- The Coldcard hardware wallet exploit continues for a fifth day: around 1,367 BTC has been stolen.
- Cardano emerged as the best-performing asset of the week in the top 100 with an 11.5% rise.
- The Fear and Greed Index remains in the "fear" territory, hovering around 28 points.
Bitcoin: Range between $62,500 and $63,500 and Monthly Closing Bets
The leading cryptocurrency continues to consolidate within a tight corridor formed after the hawkish pause by the Fed last week. Buyers confidently absorb dips to $62,500; however, this is not sufficient to reverse the downward trend that has been in place since the October peak of $126,198. Year-to-date, BTC has lost approximately 28%, while the asset’s market capitalization hovers around $1.26 trillion.
Notably, analysts at 10x Research express that a monthly close above $63,000 would technically confirm the formation of a market bottom. On-chain data indicates a gradual accumulation of positions by long-term holders, though rising yields on US Treasury bonds and outflows from ETFs limit recovery potential.
Key benchmarks for the upcoming sessions:
- Support: $62,400–$62,500, followed by the area around $61,750 and June’s low of approximately $58,200.
- Resistance: $63,500, then $65,000–$66,500.
- Strategic level: $69,000—the break-even price for short-term holders and the condition for a sustainable turnaround.
Geopolitics: Iran De-escalation Fails to Catalyze Growth
The White House's announcement regarding the pause in planned strikes on Iran has lowered the intensity of tensions in the Middle East; however, the reaction from digital assets has been surprisingly tepid: following a positive open on Monday, quotes turned downward. The restrained dynamics suggest that geopolitics is merely one of the pressure factors at play: equally significant to global investors are concerns regarding infrastructure security and stalled regulation in the US. Nonetheless, the reduction in military risks removes the scenario of sharp risk aversion from the agenda, which supports the market in the medium term.
Coldcard Incident: A Blow to Trust in Self-Custody
The major security story of the week continues to be the ongoing exploit of Coldcard hardware wallets, related to a key-generation vulnerability. Current estimates suggest that attackers have siphoned off around 1,367 BTC, and the attack has transitioned into its third wave, now encompassing addresses with smaller balances. Observers refer to this incident as the largest failure of hardware wallets in Bitcoin's history, undermining trust in the concept of "cold" storage in general.
Practical takeaways for investors:
- Immediately update device firmware and adhere to manufacturer recommendations;
- Diversify storage across multiple types of wallets and multi-signature solutions;
- Note that the industry has suffered losses exceeding $1 billion due to hacks in the first half of 2026.
Institutional Capital: Strategy Sales and Record Profit for Tether
The corporate segment is sending mixed signals. Michael Saylor's Strategy sold bitcoins worth approximately $216 million—funds allocated to bolster reserves for dividend obligations on preferred stock. The sale by the largest corporate BTC holder has become a psychologically sensitive event for the market, even though it is technical in nature.
At the same time, Tether reported a net operating profit of around $1.5 billion for the second quarter, attributed to revenues from its US Treasury bond portfolio, confirming the resilience of the stablecoin business. The institutional infrastructure continues to expand: Morgan Stanley has launched Ethereum and Solana products with staking on NYSE Arca, while spot XRP funds see inflows despite general market caution.
Top 10 Cryptocurrencies: Latest Prices
The prices of leading digital assets as of the morning of August 4, 2026 (rounded):
- Bitcoin (BTC) — around $63,000; market capitalization of approximately $1.26 trillion.
- Ethereum (ETH) — around $1,850; market capitalization of about $230 billion.
- Tether (USDT) — $1.00; record quarterly profit for the issuer.
- XRP — around $1.07; consolidation supported by inflows into specialized ETFs.
- BNB — trading significantly below January levels amid overall market correction.
- Solana (SOL) — around $72.50; focused on the deployment of the Alpenglow update.
- USD Coin (USDC) — $1.00.
- TRON (TRX) — around $0.34; key settlement network for stablecoins.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — around $0.07; consolidating at multi-month support levels.
- Hyperliquid (HYPE) — around $52 following a correction amid outflows from specialized products.
Altcoins: The Unforeseen Leadership of Cardano
The biggest surprise of the week is Cardano: ADA gained about 11.5% over seven days (from $0.165 to $0.184), becoming the best-performing asset in the top 100 according to aggregators. Prices have risen above the 50- and 100-day moving averages—significant technical positivity after months of weakness; the project’s capitalization is nearing $7 billion.
Ethereum remains around $1,850, retaining its technical strength among majors due to four weeks of inflows into specialized funds. Solana trades near $72.50: institutional demand appears selective (weekly outflows from SOL products were $17 million), but the fundamental picture is strengthening with the Alpenglow update and the network's leadership in real asset tokenization. XRP consolidates around $1.07 with a neutral RSI: bulls need to reclaim levels of $1.09–$1.10 for a reversal.
Regulation: CLARITY Act Chances Dwindle
The regulatory agenda has become this week’s main disappointment. The likelihood of voting on the CLARITY Act before the US Senate's recess on August 7 has dropped to approximately 28% according to forecasting markets—lawmakers have missed the procedural window. Grayscale and other industry participants are publicly urging the Senate to vote before the break, warning that postponement until autumn will extend the period of uncertainty for the entire global digital asset market. On the international front, South Africa has proposed rules for cross-border crypto transfers—another step towards establishing global standards for the industry.
Week Ahead: What’s Next
- August 7 — commencement of the US Senate's recess (actual deadline for the CLARITY Act) and the publication of employment data in the US.
- August 8 — anticipated downward recalculation of Bitcoin network difficulty.
- August 12–13 — reports on consumer (CPI) and producer (PPI) inflation in the US—key to the Fed’s September rate decision.
- August — activation window for the BIP-110 soft fork in the Bitcoin network and ongoing deployment of Alpenglow in Solana.
Investor Takeaways
The cryptocurrency market is undergoing a resilience test as of August 4, 2026: geopolitical de-escalation is overshadowed by the crisis of trust in hardware wallets and regulatory pauses in Washington. However, sustained spot demand on dips, accumulation by long-term holders, and the rise of second-tier altcoins suggest that the worst scenarios have likely already been priced in. Key markers for the upcoming days are Bitcoin’s ability to hold $62,400–$62,500, the fate of the CLARITY Act by August 7, and August's inflation statistics in the US. A firm BTC footing above $63,500–$65,000 would strengthen arguments for the formation of a cycle bottom, while losing support would open the path for a retest of June’s lows.
This material is for informational purposes only and is not an individual investment recommendation. Cryptocurrencies are a highly volatile asset class; when making investment decisions, assess risks independently.
