Top Crypto Market News This Week: Token Unlocks, PPI, US-Iran Tensions

The crypto market came under pressure on Sunday. US‑Iran talks lasted 21 hours but ended without a deal. Bitcoin slipped by 0.50%, while most tokens that did well a day earlier erased some of the gains.

US and Iran Tensions Threaten Crypto Market Stability

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market will react to the latest developments in the Middle East. Last week, these assets rose, with Bitcoin and Ethereum receiving positive ETF inflows after the US and Iran reached a ceasefire.

This two-week ceasefire came after Trump issued a major threat to annihilate the Iranian civilization.

The US and Iran agreed to talks in Pakistan, which were held on Saturday, with JD Vance representing the US side. However, the talks did not have a positive outcome as Iran maintained its positions against relentless US pressure.

The hardline position could be a negotiating tactic as the ceasefire has some days to go. Iran has started charging tankers $1 per liter. This move may end the ceasefire and restart fighting.

Such a move will increase volatility in the crypto market. It will erase last week’s gains. Investors will rush to safe‑haven assets.

Top Cryptocurrencies to Unlock Tokens

The other key crypto news this week is that some notable projects will unlock millions of tokens. That will lead to more supply. Cronos, which is affiliated with Crypto.com, will unlock 1.78 billion CRO tokens later this week.

It has unlocked just 14% of all its tokens, meaning that the supply will continue growing in the foreseeable future. Its unlock schedule changed after the community voted to unburn billions of tokens last year.

Lombard will unlock 11.35 million tokens worth $3.8 million. However, Sei, Starknet, and Pump tokens will unlock coins worth over $6.5 million, $5.48 million, and $18 million, respectively.

In theory, token unlocks are usually bearish for cryptocurrencies because they introduce new tokens to the market. However, their downward pressure has faded in the past few years since they are already priced in.

US PPI Data to Shed Light on Inflation

Meanwhile, the US will publish the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report on Tuesday. Economists polled by Bloomberg expect the headline PPI to rise from 3.4% in February. They project 4.2% in March as crude oil prices jumped.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy products, is expected to drop from 3.9% to 3.7%.

These numbers come a few days after the US released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI). This showed that inflation surged to 3.3% in March, driven by energy prices.

The implication is that the US is now in a stagflation, which is defined as a situation where economic growth has stalled as inflation remains elevated.

Data released last week showed that the American economy grew by just 0.5% in the fourth quarter. That’s much lower than the 4.4% experienced in the third quarter. As such, the Federal Reserve may find it hard to cut interest rates or leave them too high.

HYPE ETF and Hyperliquid HIP-4 Launch

Hyperliquid will be in the spotlight this week as Bitwise prepares to launch the first HYPE ETF. The company filed an amendment to the S1, listing the token’s ticker and the fees. This means that the listing may happen as soon as this week.

Meanwhile, there is speculation that Hyperliquid will implement the HIP-4 proposal this week. This is a major proposal that will introduce a prediction market, one of the fastest-growing areas in the crypto industry. This launch may lead to a higher volume and fees, translating in more token burns.