Leading cryptocurrencies were range-bound on Wednesday, while stocks closed higher as investors weighed de-escalation prospects in the Middle East war.

Crypto Market Consolidates

Bitcoin traded sideways between $70,380 and the mid-$71,000s, with trading volume down 13% over the past day.

Ethereum also meandered in the $2,100 region as bullish momentum stalled against strong resistance at $2,200. XRP and Dogecoin also consolidated.

Over $150 million in crypto positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with $100 million in short positions alone wiped out,  according to Coinglass data.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures rose a further 2.66% in the last 24 hours, while the majority of retail…

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