WTI Slides Below $68 as Saudi Exports Surge; BTC Tops $61,500, Gold Above $4,000

Oil’s selloff deepened Thursday, with WTI crude slipping below $68 for the first time in 125 days as Saudi shipments through the reopened Strait of Hormuz erased much of the war premium, according to BeInCrypto, after prices had topped $110 at the height of the conflict. Four Bahri supertankers reportedly left the Gulf carrying about 8 million barrels, while Saudi Aramco resumed loadings at Ras Tanura after a near four-month halt. Bitcoin (BTC) rose more than 5% to above $61,500, while gold extended gains beyond $4,000, with the metal near $4,119.