Bitcoin Trades Near $81,500 as Middle East Tensions and Oil Surge Weigh on Risk

Bitcoin traded near $81,500 on Saturday, remaining down 1.5% over the past week as escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran stoked risk-off sentiment. Potential military conflict pushed Brent crude to nearly $110 per barrel and U.S. crude to $100 per barrel, raising inflation concerns. Digital assets also faced negative institutional flows, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posting $82.39 million in net outflows on October 16. Technical pressure persists, with analysts highlighting downside risks toward the $78,000 support level if the psychological $80,000 threshold fails to hold.