🔐 END-OF-DAY MARKET REPORT — August 18, 2026
🌐 TODAY’S TOP HEADLINES
U.S.-Iran negotiations remain deadlocked; restricted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have revived concerns over energy supply, pushing Brent crude to around $91 per barrel.
The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.73%, while the 30-year yield reached 5.31%, its highest level in more than two years; elevated yields and oil prices are weighing on risk appetite.
All three major U.S. stock indexes declined; energy stocks were strong, while technology stocks were mixed.
The U.S. Treasury Department opened public comment on stablecoin implementation rules under the GENIUS Act.
Japan’s 5-year government bond yield rose 2 basis points to a record 2.18%.
A macOS screen-sharing vulnerability was exploited by attackers to gain root access and distribute Monero mining malware.
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₿ BITCOIN
BTC recovered to the $64,000-$64,500 range today after falling below $63,000 at the start of the week; the $65,000-$65,600 range remains a strong supply zone that has not been broken on any attempt this month. Despite more than $385 million in net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs last week, net inflows resumed on Monday following a three-day outflow streak.
$63,245 is being watched as short-term support, with a close below it potentially bringing the $62,665 area into focus; a break above $64,470 would signal strengthening buying confidence. The Fear & Greed Index stands at 40, around the fear-neutral boundary, while the Altcoin Season Index recovered to 46 — cautious, but no panic. $BTC
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🔷 ETHEREUM & ALTCOINS
ETH is trading weakly in the $1,895-$1,910 range in line with BTC; the continued deadlock in the Middle East is generally weighing on risk appetite. Total crypto market capitalization rose 2.6% daily to $2.28 trillion; BTC dominance stands at 56.5%, while ETH dominance is 10.1%. The Polkadot and XRP Ledger ecosystems were among the day’s top gainers. On the losing side, a sharp correction occurred: Velvet fell 44.5%, Cysic 36.4%, and SAFEbit 30.5%.
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📋 TOP CRYPTO NEWS
Jane Street’s Q2 13F filing showed that it increased its Bitcoin ETF position by $630 million, bringing its total to approximately $1.06 billion; in the previous quarter, it had reduced its overall BTC ETF position by 71%.
Bitmine increased its total Ethereum holdings to 5.82 million ETH with a new purchase of $19 million and 9,926 ETH — equivalent to 4.8% of circulating supply, approaching its 5% accumulation target.
Total stablecoin market capitalization fell to approximately $308.3 billion in July — the third consecutive month of net outflows.
Pump.fun launched a zero-commission trading model with cross-chain fees fixed at 0.1%.
The Ethereum Foundation released Platåberget, the early testnet for the Glamsterdam upgrade; the upgrade aims to increase L1 transaction capacity and block production efficiency in the second half of 2026.
Hyperliquid supported the SEC’s proposal to remove the order-protection rule, calling for best-execution guidance specifically tailored to on-chain markets.
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🔓 TOKEN UNLOCKS
Avalanche (AVAX)
August 20, 2026
Amount: approximately $268 million (2.4% of circulating supply) — 9.4-9.5 million AVAX
Recipient profile: Part of the routine monthly vesting program (team/investor and foundation allocations)
Selling pressure: 🔴
Note: One of the largest dollar-denominated unlocks of the month; its size creates short-term downside pressure risk for AVAX.
No new confirmed unlock above the threshold was identified for August 19.
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🔭 OUTLOOK & UPCOMING EVENTS
The U.S. August PMI data and Japan’s CPI, both due on August 21, will coincide with AKE’s unlock representing 9.35% of circulating supply, potentially increasing volatility toward the weekend. The August 20 AVAX unlock will be closely watched as one of the largest individual supply events remaining this month. Restricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and rising oil prices are likely to continue pressuring risk assets, including crypto, through the geopolitical risk premium.