Unconfirmed reports of explosions in Iran, Iraq and Syria triggered a flight to traditional havens such as bonds, gold and the dollar. More speculative investments including stocks and virtual currencies endured deepening losses.
Bitcoin sank as part of a wider retreat in cryptocurrencies amid a wave of caution across global markets sparked by Middle East tension.
The digital asset fell about 4% to US$60,950 ($83189.74) as of 10.09 a.m. Friday in Singapore. Tokens such as Ether, Solana and meme-crowd favorite Dogecoin also dropped.
