The research team of the world’s largest crypto exchange released a report featuring insights into the macroeconomic landscape and crypto market last week.

According to the report, the broader market experienced geopolitical shocks and a short squeeze, while the crypto sector saw rising potential for ether (ETH). Global markets remained relatively optimistic until the end of the week, when macroeconomic instabilities triggered price reversals.

Markets Shake Amid Middle East Tensions

At the beginning of the week, markets saw a strong rebound, fueled by improved relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire businessman Elon Musk. Their public dispute the week before had led to a broad sell-off across cryptocurrencies and the equities market.

However, the potential reconciliation between the two men, coupled with solid economic data and progress on trade agreements between the U.S. and China, fueled a significant rebound in risk assets. The recovery continued from Monday until Thursday, when renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East made the headlines.

Binance found that reports of cross-border military activity and regional strikes caused a negative reaction across asset classes, with SP futures, cryptocurrencies, and bond yields plummeting. Contrarily, oil and gold prices surged due to their reputation as safe-haven assets.

ETH Sees Positive Developments

Analysts expect the crypto market to recover soon; however, the historical data supporting this prediction is mixed. In January 2020, cryptocurrencies were not negatively affected by tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Instead, they rallied in the short term.

Conversely, digital assets declined during the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022; however, it did not lead to a prolonged downturn, as the market recovered within a few weeks. Analysts expect the same to be the case this time, with cryptocurrencies recovering in a few weeks.

Moreover, the crypto market is witnessing a broader regulatory shift, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) chairman, Paul Atkins, becoming more accommodating with decentralized finance (DeFi). He has promised clearer regulatory guidance for the sector, and Binance believes this could push the area to outperform others, bolstering Ethereum as the largest DeFi ecosystem.

Ethereum has seen several developments that could increase the possibility of an altseason. The SEC recently made clarifications that enable Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to offer staking, making them yield-bearing products. Spot Ethereum exchange-traded products (ETPs) have also not experienced a single day of net outflows since May 16. This streak is a first for ETH and longer than any seen in the history of spot Bitcoin ETPs.