Cryptocurrencies XRP and ETH perform better than BTC on hopes of Iran deal. Trump reportedly eyeing weekend deadline.
April 18, 2026
XRP and Ethereum have outperformed Bitcoin amidst hopeful prospects for a U.S.-Iran agreement. Following comments made by President Donald Trump about a potential deal set to be finalized over the weekend, Bitcoin’s price soared past $78,000 for the first time since early February. Trump mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg that crucial aspects of the agreement have been ironed out, even though Iran has yet to confirm any broad agreement besides the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP have experienced significant gains, with Ripple’s XRP and Ethereum leading the pack among the top 10 cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization. XRP’s retail sentiment on Stocktwits has surged from “bullish” to “extremely bullish” within a day, making it one of the most trending topics on the platform.
At one point on Friday, Bitcoin briefly surpassed $78,000 while Ethereum and Ripple’s XRP took the spotlight among major cryptocurrencies following reports of a possible agreement with Iran. In his Bloomberg interview, Trump hinted that most major points of the deal were solidified and expressed optimism that a comprehensive agreement might be reached soon, possibly within the week.
Despite Trump’s claims, Iran has not confirmed any details beyond the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, there is still uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the agreement. Nonetheless, crypto-linked stocks experienced an uptick in morning trading partially fueled by Bitcoin’s price momentum. Notably, Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) saw a 15% increase, with other stocks like Robinhood (HOOD) and Coinbase (COIN) also benefiting from the positive trend in cryptocurrency and equity markets.
Bitcoin’s price managed to climb over 5% to $77,500, stabilizing after reaching an intraday high of over $78,200. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits regarding Bitcoin showed a bullish trend and was among the top trending topics on the platform. Several users noted that Bitcoin had broken multi-month resistance levels, marking the first time since early February that the cryptocurrency had surpassed $78,000.
Apart from Bitcoin, altcoins like Ethereum and Ripple’s XRP also saw significant gains. Ethereum’s price surged by 4.5% within the last 24 hours, struggling to surpass the $2,500 mark. On the other hand, XRP’s price rose by 4.2% within the same period, briefly crossing $1.50. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around Ethereum remained bullish, with XRP sentiment turning extremely bullish from bullish in just a day. Investors were particularly interested in the potential impact of the CLARITY Act on XRP’s price, with the cryptocurrency being one of the top trending topics on the platform.
