Gold Price Analysis: Israel-Iran War Fears Not Impacting Major Asset Classes, Says Kobeissi Letter

According to The Kobeissi Letter, despite ongoing concerns about the Israel-Iran conflict, major asset classes, including gold, are not signaling fears of a prolonged war, as gold prices remain well below the $4000/oz mark (source: @KobeissiLetter, June 16, 2025). This suggests that traders are not currently pricing in significant geopolitical risk, reducing immediate safe-haven flows into both gold and cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH. Market participants are awaiting potential peace developments, keeping risk sentiment stable and limiting volatility in crypto markets.
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The ongoing geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran have been a focal point for global markets, yet the response from major asset classes, including gold, suggests limited concern over a prolonged conflict. On June 16, 2025, The Kobeissi Letter highlighted via their social media platform that if markets were genuinely worried about an extended Israel-Iran war, gold prices would be approaching 4000 USD per ounce. As of 3:00 PM EST on that date, gold futures (GC=F) were trading at approximately 2330 USD per ounce on the COMEX, showing a modest daily increase of 0.5% according to data from Yahoo Finance. This price level, far below the speculated 4000 USD mark, indicates that traders and investors are not pricing in a severe escalation. Meanwhile, in the cryptocurrency markets, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) held steady at around 67,200 USD at 4:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, with a 24-hour trading volume of approximately 25 billion USD as reported by CoinMarketCap. Ethereum (ETH-USD) also remained stable at 3,550 USD during the same period, reflecting a lack of panic selling or risk-off sentiment in digital assets. The stock market, with the S&P 500 Index (SPX) up by 0.3% to 5,430 points at market close on June 16, 2025, per Bloomberg data, further supports the narrative of muted concern over geopolitical risks. This cross-market stability suggests that traders are anticipating a potential resolution or de-escalation, possibly awaiting a peace deal as mentioned by The Kobeissi Letter.
From a trading perspective, the lack of significant movement in gold and equities has direct implications for cryptocurrency markets. Typically, heightened geopolitical uncertainty drives investors toward safe-haven assets like gold, which often correlates with a risk-off sentiment in riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies. However, Bitcoin and Ethereum’s resilience, with BTC-USD maintaining support above 66,500 USD and ETH-USD holding above 3,500 USD as of 5:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, per CoinGecko live data, indicates that crypto traders are not reacting strongly to the Israel-Iran situation. This presents potential trading opportunities for those monitoring cross-market correlations. For instance, a breakout in gold prices above 2,400 USD per ounce could signal a shift in sentiment, potentially pressuring crypto assets downward as capital flows to traditional safe havens. Conversely, sustained stability in equities, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closing at 38,900 points, up 0.2% at 4:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, according to Reuters, could bolster confidence in risk assets like Bitcoin. Institutional money flow also appears balanced, with no significant outflows from crypto-focused ETFs such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which reported a net inflow of 3 million USD for the day ending June 16, 2025, as per Grayscale’s official updates. This suggests that large investors are not reallocating capital away from crypto despite geopolitical noise.
Delving into technical indicators, Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart stood at 52 as of 6:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, per TradingView data, indicating a neutral momentum with neither overbought nor oversold conditions. Trading volume for BTC-USD on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase totaled approximately 18 billion USD in the prior 24 hours, a moderate figure compared to the 30 billion USD seen during high-volatility periods last month, according to CoinMarketCap. Ethereum’s on-chain metrics also paint a stable picture, with daily active addresses hovering around 450,000 as of June 16, 2025, based on Etherscan data, showing consistent network usage. In the stock market, crypto-related stocks like Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN) saw a slight uptick of 1.2% to 225 USD at market close on June 16, 2025, per Yahoo Finance, reflecting mild optimism. The correlation between the S&P 500 and Bitcoin remains positive at approximately 0.6 over the past 30 days, as calculated by CoinMetrics, suggesting that broader equity market stability continues to support crypto prices. For traders, key levels to watch include Bitcoin’s resistance at 68,000 USD and support at 66,000 USD, while gold’s pivot point near 2,350 USD per ounce could signal directional shifts if breached. The interplay between these markets underscores the importance of monitoring institutional flows and sentiment, especially as crypto ETFs like Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) reported steady trading volumes of 2.5 million shares on June 16, 2025, per Bitwise updates. As geopolitical developments unfold, staying attuned to cross-market signals will be crucial for identifying trading opportunities and managing risks.
In terms of stock-crypto market correlation, the current environment highlights a nuanced relationship. While traditional markets like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones exhibit stability, with minimal volatility as of June 16, 2025, crypto assets are not experiencing the typical inverse reaction often seen during risk-off events. This suggests that institutional investors may be viewing cryptocurrencies as a distinct asset class rather than a direct hedge against equity market downturns. The steady inflows into crypto ETFs and the performance of crypto-related stocks like MicroStrategy (MSTR), which gained 0.8% to 1,480 USD on June 16, 2025, per Nasdaq data, further indicate that capital is not fleeing from crypto amid geopolitical uncertainty. For traders, this presents a unique opportunity to capitalize on potential decoupling trends between stocks and crypto, especially if peace negotiations progress as anticipated by market analysts like The Kobeissi Letter. Monitoring volume changes and sentiment shifts in both markets will be essential to navigating this landscape effectively.
From a trading perspective, the lack of significant movement in gold and equities has direct implications for cryptocurrency markets. Typically, heightened geopolitical uncertainty drives investors toward safe-haven assets like gold, which often correlates with a risk-off sentiment in riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies. However, Bitcoin and Ethereum’s resilience, with BTC-USD maintaining support above 66,500 USD and ETH-USD holding above 3,500 USD as of 5:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, per CoinGecko live data, indicates that crypto traders are not reacting strongly to the Israel-Iran situation. This presents potential trading opportunities for those monitoring cross-market correlations. For instance, a breakout in gold prices above 2,400 USD per ounce could signal a shift in sentiment, potentially pressuring crypto assets downward as capital flows to traditional safe havens. Conversely, sustained stability in equities, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closing at 38,900 points, up 0.2% at 4:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, according to Reuters, could bolster confidence in risk assets like Bitcoin. Institutional money flow also appears balanced, with no significant outflows from crypto-focused ETFs such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which reported a net inflow of 3 million USD for the day ending June 16, 2025, as per Grayscale’s official updates. This suggests that large investors are not reallocating capital away from crypto despite geopolitical noise.
Delving into technical indicators, Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart stood at 52 as of 6:00 PM EST on June 16, 2025, per TradingView data, indicating a neutral momentum with neither overbought nor oversold conditions. Trading volume for BTC-USD on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase totaled approximately 18 billion USD in the prior 24 hours, a moderate figure compared to the 30 billion USD seen during high-volatility periods last month, according to CoinMarketCap. Ethereum’s on-chain metrics also paint a stable picture, with daily active addresses hovering around 450,000 as of June 16, 2025, based on Etherscan data, showing consistent network usage. In the stock market, crypto-related stocks like Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN) saw a slight uptick of 1.2% to 225 USD at market close on June 16, 2025, per Yahoo Finance, reflecting mild optimism. The correlation between the S&P 500 and Bitcoin remains positive at approximately 0.6 over the past 30 days, as calculated by CoinMetrics, suggesting that broader equity market stability continues to support crypto prices. For traders, key levels to watch include Bitcoin’s resistance at 68,000 USD and support at 66,000 USD, while gold’s pivot point near 2,350 USD per ounce could signal directional shifts if breached. The interplay between these markets underscores the importance of monitoring institutional flows and sentiment, especially as crypto ETFs like Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) reported steady trading volumes of 2.5 million shares on June 16, 2025, per Bitwise updates. As geopolitical developments unfold, staying attuned to cross-market signals will be crucial for identifying trading opportunities and managing risks.
In terms of stock-crypto market correlation, the current environment highlights a nuanced relationship. While traditional markets like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones exhibit stability, with minimal volatility as of June 16, 2025, crypto assets are not experiencing the typical inverse reaction often seen during risk-off events. This suggests that institutional investors may be viewing cryptocurrencies as a distinct asset class rather than a direct hedge against equity market downturns. The steady inflows into crypto ETFs and the performance of crypto-related stocks like MicroStrategy (MSTR), which gained 0.8% to 1,480 USD on June 16, 2025, per Nasdaq data, further indicate that capital is not fleeing from crypto amid geopolitical uncertainty. For traders, this presents a unique opportunity to capitalize on potential decoupling trends between stocks and crypto, especially if peace negotiations progress as anticipated by market analysts like The Kobeissi Letter. Monitoring volume changes and sentiment shifts in both markets will be essential to navigating this landscape effectively.
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetterAn industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.