Bitcoin Surges Past $78,000, Logs 5.7% Monthly Gain in Recovery Bid

Bitcoin briefly topped $78,000 on April 17 for the first time since early February, achieving a 5.7% one-month gain by April 19 amid hopes of Iran conflict de-escalation that also lifted U.S. stocks. Institutional momentum builds with Goldman Sachs filing for a spot Bitcoin ETF, Morgan Stanley launching a Bitcoin trust, and Charles Schwab enabling direct BTC purchases. Yet the rally appears tentative, with BTC ~40% below its all-time high and vulnerable to IMF/World Bank alerts on energy-driven global slowdowns.